XIII Ninja
by James the Fox
Summary: KHNaruto Xover. After all, Nothingness is eternal... After being defeated in KH2, Organization XIII finds an oppurtunity for a second chance in the form of a young boy...
1. Nothingness is Eternal!

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Naruto Owned by Kishimoto and Shonen Jump

Kingdom Hearts owned by Square Enix and Disney

"Now for a Naruto Fic which takes place a while after Kingdom Hearts 2 and stars Naruto with all sorts of new/old powers..."

Naruto: "New/old? What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see..."

* * *

As Xemnas' form finally faded away, he wondered how he could lose two insignificant boys. They were only children, and he was eternal. Then he remembered.

* * *

_"You're right. Darkness and Light are eternal. Nothing probably goes on forever too. But guess what, Xemnas?" Riku, the one who had thrown his friends away for the power darkness had offered, then thrown darkness away as well, had said._

_"It doesn't mean you're eternal!" His friend, Sora, had finished. In his hand he gripped the Ultima Keyblade._

* * *

Xemnas realized it now. They were correct. Ansem was correct, too. The Heart's true essence was beyond even his grasp. But somehow, someway, they had figured it all out. Maybe… maybe because they listened to their hearts.

Meanwhile, he didn't even have a heart. He was a Nobody, just a shell, after all.

He felt his power drain away, but he was puzzled at how it was draining. Instead of fading away like it should, it flowed off in a single direction, heading for a specific place. Xemnas could feel his consciousness being taken that way, as well. As he fell slowly into oblivion, He felt other presences, other powers, traveling nearby and to the same place as him.

XIII powers, XII presences, all heading for the same world…

* * *

_Prelude Episode: Organization XIII and Kyuubi's new Host! Nothingness is eternal!

* * *

_

Xemnas awoke to find himself in the strangest place he had ever seen. It seemed to be a combination of many of the places Organization XIII had been to. Surrounding the edges of the large platform he was on were thirteen thrones similar to the ones he and the rest of the Order had sat in during their meetings, but instead of the white marble the thrones seemed to be made of a dark brownish-orange stone. He was also surprised to find the Memory's Skyscraper towering above him on one side of the room. As he turned about, he saw several locales in the distance, there but out of his reach. Twilight Town, Destiny Islands, the Dark Beach, Radiant Garden, and many more. Upon closer inspection he also noticed eleven others lying down, obviously unconscious. He could tell from a glance that each of them were members of Organization XIII, but this did not answer the question of just where they were.

Was this the place where Nobodies ended up when they… for lack of a better word, died? Where the beings of nothingness were doomed to be for all eternity, without hearts, without existence? And where was the missing member of… Roxas. He had merged with his original self. When Sora's time came, what would happen to him? Would he come here, or go with Sora? Xemnas wanted to know. It seemed that even though he existed even less than he had before, he still bore a desire for knowledge.

No, not a desire. After all… Nobodies could not feel… Emotion… They were only shells… cast off from both darkness and light, they didn't even exist…

Xemnas snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed # IV, Vexen, get up. He looked much the same as he had before. He noticed Xemnas and turned to him, asking two simple questions.

"Where are we? The last thing I remember… Castle Oblivion… Sora… Axel… How am I still here in the land of the living?"

"I don't know about the first question, but I can say that we aren't in the realm of the living…" Xemnas and Vexen turned to face Larxene. "Guess ticking the Keybearer off to control him wasn't the best idea I've had…" With the exception of Xemnas, each of the Organization members awoke in the order they had been defeated in. One by one, Marluxia, Lexaeus, Zexion, Demyx, Xaldin, Xigbar, Luxord, and Saix came to. They started walking about, trying to find some clue as to whether they were alone or not. Finally, Demyx did the only thing they hadn't done in their investigation other than try to get into the skyscraper. He turned his head straight up and yelled.

"Hello? Anyone out there laughing at us from in the dark? Where the heck are we? Anyone?" Larxene turned towards Demyx, annoyance visible on her face.

"Shut up, Demyx, nobody's gonna just appear out of thin air and-"

"_So… you've awakened." _Everyone jumped at the new voice.

"-Start talking." Larxene finished, unwilling to believe that Demyx's plan had worked. "OK… who are you?"

"_A representative of the world of death."_

Vexen looked into the sky, trying to figure out where the voice came from.

"Not to be rude and bombard our _generous_ host with questions, but WHERE THE HECK ARE WE? WHY ARE WE HERE? IS THIS SOME KIND OF SICK JOKE THAT YOU'RE PLAYING ON US?" Axel yelled, not waiting for answers. The voice laughed.

_"Do not be sorry. I was sent here to answer questions for you. The higher-ups thought you might want them. To the last question, no. You are inside a heart that is just now being brought into the world."_

"Inside… a heart?" Zexion asked, shocked that something like that would be possible.

_"Indeed. As for why you are here… the short version is Redemption..."_

"What, like a second chance?" Xigbar asked, interested in the prospect.

"Why?" Axel asked. He knew he'd done horrible things in life, they all had, so why would any of them get a second shot?

_"Feeling a little… regret?"_ The words the voice had used struck Axel to the core. Those were one of the last things Sora had said before Axel had destroyed himself to save him. Sure, it wasn't like he could… With those thoughts Axel came to a new realization.

"Yes… I am. I'm actually… feeling emotion! How?"

_"Your first question first. You see, none of you lived a full life, or one that had emotion anyway. Your other sides, your original selves, have already been judged for the choices that they made, taking all their emotions into consideration."_ The voice sounded reluctant to finish the statement, but finally continued. _"Plus, you got off on a technicality." _Axel laughed at the annoyed tone the voice took.

"A technicality? What kind of technicality?"

_"You could not be judged because you technically did not exist. You have been linked to this heart, fixing that problem. You now exist as much as any other being, complete with emotion. Now you can be held truly accountable for your actions. Try not to make the same mistakes as you did before."_

Luxord grinned. "Sounds like a game to me. So, what are the rules?"

_"You will exist inside this heart, guiding the person who is your host. The child holds a powerful destiny."_

"What kind of destiny?" Xaldin asked.

_"Take a look below your feet."_ Every one did so, seeing that the floor was made of bars that crisscrossed like jail bars. _"Those bars are meant to hold something. A very deadly monster, one that holds almost as much power as every Nobody combined. The Kyuubi."_

Larxene gasped in shock. She had seen that creature in the memories of her original self. It was that creature that had caused her to become a Nobody in the first place. Those memories were hazy, but she was still able to recall the Nine-Tailed Fox unleashing several horrible techniques on her village. She had fled, finding herself on a journey that intertwined with many other journeys. In the end, she had become a weapon that was designed to enjoy other's suffering. Was there anyone this child would meet that she had known?

_"His life will be of great importance to this world. When the end comes, you will be judged by how you acted to guide him. If you pass, you will be given a new existence in the world of the living. If you fail… you will endure horrors greater than any mortal was meant to encounter."_

Axel had only one thing he could think about left. "What about Roxas? Will he get a second chance?" Everything in the future depended on this. Roxas was Axel's best friend, and he couldn't imagine doing something like this without him.

_"…Yes. He can't be judged unless he has a heart. When Sora's time comes, Roxas will be here."_

Axel grinned. He was starting to enjoy having emotions like happiness. He knew this also meant he could feel sadness, but it didn't matter. With his friend by his side, he could do anything. Vexen suddenly thought of something.

"This can't just mean guiding him, does it? Otherwise we wouldn't need the power we still have. Logically, this could only mean there will be times when he will need to use our strength."

_"You just answered your own question. Once he becomes aware of your presence, which will likely be at a young age, he need only call and your power will combine with his. This is an addition to a man-made seal that will be used to keep the demon at bay done by the higher-ups."_

"These 'Higher-ups' you keep mentioning seem to be really involved here," Marluxia said.

_"No more so than they were with everyone else. They work with every being out there so that they fit into the tapestry of existence. Even your original selves were designed to do whatever you may need to do. Now, that is all the time I have left before this heart goes into it's body and I am disconnected."_ 5 seconds later, the world around them shook as the heart entered existence.

The Kyuubi roared as the man known as the 4th Hokage performed several hand signs. They both knew what would happen should the Demon be unable to stop the man. It unleashed several fire blasts in desperation, all of which either missed or were blocked by the Fourth's summoned toad, Gamabunta. Finally, the last seal had been created. Taking one last look at the child beneath him, sleeping soundly, he unleashed the Justu that would end his life and drastically change another.

"_Shiki Fujin_!" The demon cried out in defiance as the Justu took affect, knowing that now it was doomed to be trapped for eternity. Shinigami, the Death God, reached out, taking the soul of the Nine-Tailed Fox from its body and toward the child. The Hokage unleashed two more Sealing Justus to ensure that the demon would not escape or use the boy for any purpose. The spirit of the monster disappeared into the body of the young blonde. As Shinigami took its payment for its services and the Hokage felt his soul being torn from his body, he heard a voice that was able to reassure him, although he didn't know why.

_"You need not worry about the child. He is safe in the hands of the XIII Order." _

* * *

_"H-hello. I'm Hyuuga Hinata. I was having a normal day till a few minutes ago, when someone kidnapped me. Wait, who's that? A boy? What's he doing?"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Kidnapping Caper! The key child returns!**_

_"I'll s-see you there."

* * *

_

"Yeah… I've kinda had this idea in my head for a while."

Naruto: "So, Organization XIII is sealed in my body along with the Fox?"

"Kinda… And yes, Larxene does have a big role in this story. Her memories are a little fuzzy from being a Nobody, but as time passes she'll remember people she's met and techniques she forgot. Also, certain events and people will happen/appear in different places than in canon. Until then, see ya!"


	2. The Key Child Returns!

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

"I'm back, by popular demand!"

Naruto: "Popular demand? I-"

"Think before you speak." (Has plasma grenade out and ready to stick to Naruto)

Naruto: "- Think that it's SUPER-popular Demand! Yeah..."

"Good boy. Next Chapter, GO!"

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata was having a bad week. First, she gets kidnapped and subsequently rescued by her father, who killed the criminal. Then in order to save her father from being killed by the country that her kidnapper came from, her uncle chose to sacrifice himself in her father's place. Now, because of this, her cousin Neji, one of the few friends she had, was inconsolable. She was currently trying to cheer him up, but he just sat on the bench she had brought him to, not responding to anything. The girl sighed, finally deciding that she couldn't do anything for him…

* * *

_Episode One: Kidnapping Caper! The Key Child returns!_

* * *

In the few years he had been alive, Naruto had grown into a strong person, while Organization guided him and taught him everything they could. Plus, training was going to be easier now that the whole group was there to help teach. A few days ago, Roxas had appeared in a sphere of light. He looked very injured, but quickly healed and was informed of the circumstances. After being introduced to Naruto, Sora's other side quickly became accustomed to the world around him. Today, he was touring the area, looking inside the Skyscraper to find memories and other objects to keep his attention when he wasn't actively helping. Looking around, Roxas sighed. 

"Kinda reminds me of what it's like in Sora's Heart…"

Axel looked to Roxas, remembering something he wanted to ask.

"Hey, how the heck did Sora die anyway? I mean, he was a tough kid, and I don't see how someone who could beat the hell outta Xemnas could be beaten so easily…"

"… They called themselves Chasers." Xemnas instantly turned around on his heel, staring at Roxas. The usual emotionless look he had was gone, replaced with a look of pure shock and horror.

"Chasers? But how did they… Are you certain?"

"Yes. Sora even let me have control for a little while, while he rested in his heart. They were very strong. Nothing we did could hurt them. I had no chance… Neither of us did."

"What of Sora's friends?"

"Sora had Riku flee as far away from Destiny Islands as possible. I don't know how he is."

"What of the other one? The Princess of Heart?"

"…" Roxas had paled, and was muttering something under his breath. Axel put his hand on the Key of Destiny's head, trying to comfort his friend. Roxas finally managed to speak aloud.

" Three days before Sora died, I saw one of them using her Keyblade, and it was covered in blood. I think that was what broke him…" Vexen then spun to face Xemnas, puzzlement on his face.

"Wait… who exactly ARE these people… these Chasers?" Xemnas closed his eyes and began an explanation.

"Chasers… They are powerful beings that have existed for many centuries. They once served as Soldiers for Radiant Garden, but they heard of the Keyblade's powers, and wanted those powers for themselves. They betrayed Radiant Garden and unleashed a reign of terror on all worlds. They created the very first Heartless and Nobodies as lures for the peacekeepers of the worlds. Then, once a Keyblade wielder is revealed and has removed the threat the Chasers made, they attack, using various strategies to keep their targets down, playing with them. In the end, they kill the Keybearer and absorb his or her essence, drawing the Keyblade to them. From that moment, the Keyblade belongs to them like it did their predecessor. They don't stop, and they're immune to the Keyblade's power. We met one once, and he drew us to the darkness, and you saw how that ended…"

"So these Chasers… the dude we met who told us of what our research on the darkness could do for us, that was a Chaser?" Xigbar stroked his chin, amazed that he had met such a powerful being and not recognized him. Zexion growled, annoyed at what this meant.

"We were being used, like puppets! I can't believe I never saw it." The original six members looked to each other, shocked that even when they thought they were in control, they had always simply been pawns in another group's chess game…

"So… these Chasers are immune to this Keyblade thing, so why not try some kind of other technique? I mean, this Sora guy… didn't he have magic?" Naruto had apparently been listening in on the conversation, and wanted to have some words to say about it. He had befriended the group inside his heart early on and learned how to call on their powers, and wanted to know as much about what could beat one of the people who defeated his friends.

"The magic is directly linked to and enhanced by Sora's Keyblade. Nothing worked. Forms, abilities, spells, summons… all useless because the Keyblade was trying to help it out…"

"Man… let's hope I never get one of those things…" Naruto mentally said to his guests as he stood up from his seat, leaving the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. Roxas looked up at the "sky," looking solemn.

"Well, I have a Keyblade, but it won't interfere with your powers unless you call on my strength."

Naruto sighed. "Aw, man… Well, we'll just have to make sure we don't use your powers against them, right?" Axel grinned. The kid was finally learning strategy.

"Right. Now, let's get to training." For the past year, Organization XIII had been training Naruto to use some of their powers. Although they couldn't teach the child their special techniques, they could teach him to control his darkness. One of the first things they had done was teach Naruto to alter his appearance with the Darkness, changing the raggedy old clothes he had into something presentable. They had been recently been teaching him to create portals of darkness. The toughest part, although in this he was aided by the Organization, was to keep the darkness from spiraling out of control and consuming him. Walking stealthily into a nearby alley, he raised an open palm. The portal of dark energy would have scared the crap out of most people, but to Naruto the darkness that he could sense both inside and outside of him had become an ally. He stepped into the corridor.

* * *

Naruto stepped out, looking around his usual training spot. It was actually a few miles outside the west gates, one of several small wastelands in the same area. He could feel a large amount of dark energy left over from a long time ago around here, but it was relatively devoid of life. Here, it was safe for Naruto to learn the techniques his lifelong friends could teach him. He jumped in excitement when he noticed how far he had warped. 

"He's learning… But can he really become the 'Hokage' that he wishes to be?" Saix mentioned to Xemnas. The Superior closed his eyes, considering the boy's strengths.

"He has a strong heart to help him gain strength. I believe that he will become as strong as he hopes and dreams before he dies."

"So, what are you going to teach me?"

"… Should we teach him about the weapon that embodies his heart?" Axel asked Xemnas. The technique was powerful, and the weapon produced would likely be the best he'd be able to use. But it was hard to use on the first few tries, and might frustrate the child. Xemnas nodded.

"… All right kid, what I'm gonna teach you is one of the more advanced skills a person can use, but it requires more time to master. Got it memorized?" Naruto nodded, willing to stay up all night trying to figure it out. "All right, so here's what you do…"

* * *

Hinata strolled towards the Hyuuga Compound, feeling tired and a bit hungry. Neji hung back, still silent. Hinata couldn't find the energy to find a new idea to help him. 

'… Guess I can think of ways to snap Neji-niisan out of it during dinner…' However, her train of thought suddenly shifted when a man came out of a side alleyway and launched toward her. He wore all black, covering everything but his eyes and mouth. He had a side pack that likely carried various weapons on his waist. There was a forehead protector with a musical note on it wrapped around his right leg. The man grabbed Hinata, earning at least a gasp from Neji. Before the boy could react, the ninja landed a kick to Neji's face, bringing Hinata's cousin down. The Ninja headed west, toward the nearest available exit to the village. Unbeknownst to anyone, a single man wearing a headband covering his left eye had seen the whole thing. He sent a dog to the Hyuuga Compound, and proceeded to try and wake Neji from his sleep.

* * *

Naruto stopped training immediately as he smelled darkness coming toward him. It smelled like it came from two different hearts, but one of those hearts had far more darkness than the other heart. 

"What the hell? No one comes round here, especially this late…" Naruto was ticked. He had been so close… The boy hid in the trees, hoping to see who interrupted his training. He suddenly saw the ninja land in the clearing, carrying a girl about his age over his shoulder. The ninja landed in the middle, resting from using so much energy. "Why would he be rushing out of the village with a girl like that? Wouldn't he at least take the main path?"

"Maybe… Oh, hell no." Larxene growled.

"You don't think this guy is trying to kidnap the girl?" Demyx asked.

"If that's the case, then we should help!" Naruto said, picking up a nearby stick. It wasn't the best weapon he could find, but he didn't really know how to call up the Organization's powers, so he couldn't use their weapons. The ninja in training ran out, blocking the Shinobi's path. Zexion groaned. Why didn't the kid think before he leaped?

"OK, who the heck are you and what do you want with that girl?" Naruto took the stick and held it out in front of him like a sword. The ninja looked at Naruto, amused that such a small boy would dare threaten him.

"I am Alned, and I'm here on business. My fledgling village's leader wants this girl for his own reasons. Of course, you knowing about this isn't going to save you!" The ninja pulled a kunai out of his pack, charging at the host of the XIII Order. Naruto ducked the attack, grateful for the small amount of combat skill he had learned from discarded scrolls, and swung his stick in an uppercut. Surprisingly, the slash was strong enough to force the Sound Ninja to lose his grip on his captive. The girl fell to ground, rolling a fair distance away. She got up and looked at her kidnapper. Alned charged at Hinata, annoyed that he couldn't kill the girl under his leader's orders.

"Oh, no you don't!" Naruto dashed in between the two of them, another swipe knocking Alned back a few feet. The Jailer of the Demon Fox looked at Hinata out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, girl! Get out of here. I'll hold him. Turn around and run until you find a road, then take a right and you should reach the village. Got it?" Hinata hesitated, but nodded. "Then get going!" As Hinata retreated, Naruto turned back to his opponent.

"Grrr… You made me lose the girl! Fine… I'll just kill you to let off some steam, then grab her." The Sound-nin charged at blinding speeds, snapping the stick Naruto had been using and knocking him into the air with a blast of sound. 7 shuriken followed him up, cutting into his side, legs and arms. Naruto landed hard on his back, barely able to get up.

* * *

A few yards away, Hinata was running for her life, tears falling from her cheeks. This was the second time in a week that someone was going to die for her… she collapsed, too tired to keep going. Suddenly she heard someone land behind her. She turned around to see who it was. 

"Hello, there. Good to see you're safe." A silver haired Jounin with a mask covering the bottom half of his face and his forehead protector covering his left eye grinned, although it was barely visible. "Now… how did you escape? Did you do it on you own, or was someone faster than me to saving you?" Unable to keep her thoughts to herself anymore, she burst into tears, telling the Ninja everything she could about the boy who saved her. The boy had been wearing a black tracksuit with a peculiar symbol on the zipper on it. He had blond hair, blue eyes, and strange whisker marks on his face. He had fought off her captor with a stick and had her run as far as she could. While she talked, Kakashi Hatake listened, obviously interested in the boy. 'Hmm… so, now I know where exactly Uzumaki Naruto has been disappearing to lately… Maybe I should go help him. Then again, this girl needs to be brought home. There are other ninja searching the forest. They'll be able to serve as backup for the kid." With that thought, Kakashi picked Hinata up and carried her back to the village.

* * *

Naruto got up just in time for a solid kick to connect to his stomach, sending the kid flying towards the edge of the wasteland. A few yards away, three Jounin were sitting in the trees, ready to strike… as soon as the Kyuubi was dead. This was the only chance they had for Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine Tailed Fox, to die, leaving them free from the demon forever. 

"What are you waiting for? Have you found my daughter?" Hiashi landed next to them, wondering what the stalling was about. As soon as he had heard of her daughter's kidnapping, he had left the compound, ready to take down whoever had abducted his child.

"You need not worry, Hyuuga-sama. Your daughter is safe. We just got word that Kakashi Hatake has returned to the village with her."

"Then why are you here?"

"Watching this battle. The Kyuubi is fighting the abductor. He's likely to die in a few minutes"

"… _I_ do not see any giant fox here, men. All I see is a child who is doing what's right, even if it may cost him his life." The three Jounin turned, in shock, to face the Hyuuga Elder. Meanwhile, Naruto threw a punch at Alned, barely able to keep up with the far-superior Sound Jounin.

"You can't seriously be wanting to save that kid. He's the one who slew thousands of your men, or have you forgotten?"

"I have not forgotten. However, that boy, Uzumaki Naruto, is not the demon. He is its container, its jailor. If it wasn't for him, Konoha would be little more than ruins, with the demon fox resting on our graves." The Hyuuga's voice was calm, but it held an icy chill that scared the other ninja into silence. Hiashi looked towards Naruto, who was on his last legs.

* * *

Naruto dodged another blow from Alned, although it was only barely. Naruto could smell four hearts nearby, and could surmise that they were waiting for a good chance to strike Alned down. However, Naruto really wanted to know why they hadn't attacked yet, what with the multiple chances at a fatal blow they had already had. 

"This is really getting annoying… We have to help him!" Axel growled.

"Do you have any clue how we can do that?" Vexen asked.

"… Um…"

"Precisely."

**_"RAAGGHH!!!!"_** All the members looked down towards the Demon Fox trapped beneath the barred floor. It was growling and snarling. Xemnas could feel its power flowing up through the bars. It gave Roxas an idea. Jumping into the air, Roxas planed to temporarily merge with the Chakra. A small spherical force field surrounded the Key to Destiny, and a light shot out of the sphere towards the sky of Naruto's Heart.

Just as the Jounin were about to strike, Naruto roared, his spirit merging with Roxas, allowing the two to co-control Naruto's body. His hair slightly changed into the style Roxas had, streaks of Roxas' hair color appearing. The whisker marks became thicker, and his eyes became a slightly darker blue. Alned stepped back, shocked at what was happening. He could feel Naruto's Chakra levels increasing with every passing second. As the roar died down, Naruto grinned, the Kingdom Key appearing in his left hand.

"Alright… now we're talking." Rushing at Alned, Naruto struck with 5 horizontal strikes, then slid behind him. A vertical slash knocked the sound Ninja into the air. Naruto, following Roxas' guidance, threw the Keyblade at Alned, and the Key impaled him just a few centimeters from a vital point. Naruto called the Keyblade back, and watched as Alned landed on his feet, injured but not defeated.

"So… you learned a few n-new tricks… I'll still k-kill you!" Alned lunged at the ninja-to-be and struck with several cuts at Naruto, but at least half of them were blocked. Naruto retaliated with a thrust. This time, the technique connected, finishing Alned. The ninja collapsed, unable to keep fighting. Naruto fell to his knees, returning to normal. The keyblade disappeared, and Roxas landed on the ground, barely able to keep conscious. Naruto struggled to keep awake, but finally collapsed.

* * *

A few hours later, Naruto awoke to find the familiar face of the Third Hokage. Standing next to him was a man who had the same eyes as the girl he had rescued. Naruto guessed that the man was the girl's father, and smiled. 

"So, how's your daughter? She make it out OK?"

"…Yes."

"Oh, that's good!"

"Naruto," The Third Hokage called. "Not that I'm not grateful for the service you have done for our village, but I'd like to know what exactly you were doing out there."

"… Um… well…" Naruto sighed, knowing that he would just have to tell the truth. "I was training."

"I see. Why were you training there instead of at the training areas?"

"I didn't want to be bothered." That was true, and Naruto couldn't think of any other explanation.

"… Fine."

"So… can I get out of this bed yet?"

"You should be able to." Naruto got up, stretching his limbs. He jumped in the air a couple times, finally satisfied

"Well, if that's everything, I'd like to head home now." With that Naruto left through the door, pondering the events that had happened. He eventually got home and went to bed, planning to train as hard as he could and master the Heart's Representation Weapon Technique Axel had told him about. His training would continue for a few more years before things started to get interesting…

* * *

_"Yeah! Today's the day that I finally become a ninja! I can tell that I'll pass the test this time! Believe it!" _

"_Don't get too overconfident… It usually comes back to bite you on the butt."_

"_Ah, let the kid have his fun, Marluxia. The kid's got skills! All he really needs to worry about is that darned Clone Justu. But all he needs is a little practice. P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E. Got it memorized?"_

**_Next time on XIII Ninja: Falling Petals, Swinging Scythe: the Graduation Exams Arrive!_**

* * *

"Finally, I finished! I rock!" 

Naruto: "Believe it!"

"… Stop saying that. It's an annoying phrase, believe it… Oh crap, now I'm saying it!"

Shadow: "Believe it."

Link: "Believe it!"

"… Crap. Uh, see ya next time."

Everyone in the World: **"BELIEVE IT!"**


	3. The Graduation Exams Arrive!

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

"Hello again!"

Naruto: "Apparently one or two reviewers would like to know why the Keyblade would influence Sora's magic if he can use it without the keyblade, so here's Sora with the answer."

Sora: "In both games, KH and KH2, my magic is powered up by certain Keyblades. Although I don't need it to actually cast Magic, (like after Riku steals the Keyblade) The Keyblade does affect my magic when I have it in my possession, whether I want it to or not... Which was my downfall in this story."

"Speaking of stories… Let's begin this one!"

* * *

It was a normal day in Konoha. The sun was shining, the birds were singing… 

And a 13-year-old Naruto was fleeing from a bunch of ninja, laughing as he carried a bucket of paint.

"Oh, come on! I know you can do better than that!" Naruto turned quickly into an alley, opening a portal of darkness and warping to another part of the village. The moment he got in, the portal closed, leaving the Jounin baffled.

"Where'd he go?"

"Who knows?"

"How the heck does he do that? He can't have learned the Flying Thunder God Technique! The only one who knew it was the Fourth Hokage, and he's…"

"Whatever! Let's keep searching. The runt's likely to be somewhere nearby."

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto was sitting happily on the Fourth Hokage's Monument, observing his work. The monument had been colored, albeit a little sloppily. Hair, eyes, skin… had he done the painting more accurately, they would have been lifelike. He grinned as he sensed a heart appear nearby. He used his Camouflage Cloak Technique to hide away, watching as his tutor, Iruka Umino, stepped onto the stone. 

"Naruto? I know you're somewhere around here. Show yourself!" Naruto grinned under the cloak, waiting for the perfect chance to flee.

"Naruto… I can't believe you're doing this when you should be practicing for the Graduation Exams tomorrow…" Larxene said, a small sign of a motherly scolding sound in her voice.

"Hey, I've got it covered! Take a look!" Naruto pointed a little to the left of his teacher. A Naruto clone was standing a few feet away from Iruka, grinning and taunting his sensei.

"Nyah Nyah!" The fake stuck his tongue out as Iruka growled at him.

"Cut it out Naru… to. Nice try, but I can tell that it's a clone. It lacks that symbol on your zipper and the goggles." Naruto mentally smacked his forehead as he realized his mistake. Two of his trademarks, and he forgot to add them to his clone!

"Well, I guess this match is yours then… Ah well. Now there's no way why you'd leave, huh…" Naruto threw off his cloak, a smile on his face, even though he'd been caught.

"What's with the smile?"

"… Don't you see? I managed to get a clone that's not a total waste. Even if it's not complete, it could fool anyone who didn't know what exactly I looked like! At this rate, I'll be able to pass this test with no problem. Believe it!"

"Naruto, please stop using that phrase… It's annoying…" Vexen asked from within Naruto's heart.

"Don't bother, Vexen. We've been trying for years, but he just won't stop…" Zexion said sadly. Naruto grabbed a sponge from Iruka, starting to clean up the mess he had made.

"Hey Naruto…" Iruka said after a few minutes' silence.

"Yeah?"

"For your credit, at least this time the prank made the monument look a little better…"

"Yeah! I even got a picture of it to save. Someday I'll look back on it and laugh my butt off!" The rest of the day went well as Naruto quickly cleaned the monument. He then spent the rest of the day practicing. Vexen grinned; after all he _was_ part of the reason that Naruto was able to use that Jutsu to the extent he was. He had realized early on that Naruto was using far too much Chakra for such a simple skill. He quickly had the rest of the Organization partially suppress his Chakra, telling Naruto about the problem. Naruto quickly started correcting his problem, starting with a miniscule amount of Chakra, then building up until he found a suitable amount. He was so close, and Vexen was certain that Naruto would be able to pull a perfect Clone Justu off when the time came… if he could JUST remember to put on all the details…

"When I'm Hokage…"

* * *

_Falling Petals, Swinging Scythe: the Graduation Exams Arrive!

* * *

_

The next day, Naruto got up bright and early, which surprised Organization XIII. The boy was never up earlier than he absolutely HAD to be.

"What's up?" Roxas asked as Naruto quickly put on his ninja equipment, which consisted of a brown tracksuit, bearing his trademark Nobody-crest zipper, his Kunai holster, his goggles, and various other weapons stored in his many pockets.

"I have to be ready. I want this day to be perfect, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed as he put his Moogle-shaped wallet in his pocket. The boy quickly ran outside, taking a light breakfast with him. "I can feel it… Today, I'm going to become a ninja!"

* * *

"… I'm sorry, Naruto… You didn't get enough points total to pass…" Iruka looked at his notes, trying to find somewhere he made a mistake, something small that could boost the boy's score just enough to let him pass. It was sad that Naruto had been so close… after all, just one point was all he needed… If he had managed one more clone… "But I'm certain that you'll pass next year! There's no doubt, as long as you just improve your skills a little." 

"… I guess…" Naruto sighed as he left through the door. His friend, Hyuuga Hinata, looked towards the door, wanting to follow him and help him feel better. She shook her head, remembering that she was up soon, and her father wouldn't let her give up this chance, no matter how close he and the boy had gotten… She would just have to find him later…

* * *

Naruto sat at his usual swing nearby the Academy, trying to find some way that it could be different. Maybe Iruka could let him retake the test, then he could try a little harder… 

"You know, there is another way to graduate…" Naruto jumped out of his seat and turned to face the speaker, a Chunin with silver hair down to his chin and brown eyes named Mizuki. As he and Naruto talked more about the matter, a Jounin with silver hair down to an inch past his shoulders and a face wrapped almost completely in bandages (save for his blue-green eyes) watched.

"Hmmm… So this boy failed the Graduation Exams? Hmph. Maybe he's not quite as special as the Hokage believes… But I better make sure. Let's see what you've got, Naruto Uzumaki!" The Ninja made several hand signs and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

"Sir, the Forbidden Scroll has been stolen!" A Jounin exclaimed as he burst into the Hokage's personal study. 

"What?" The Hokage growled, threatening dire consequences for a lie or joke.

"It's gone, but we know who did it."

"Who?"

"Naruto Uzumaki." Both parties turned around, noticing the silver-haired Jounin step into the room.

"RiD…"

"However… He's been hoodwinked. The real traitor is his teacher, Mizuki. I saw the ninja trick Naruto into stealing the scroll," RiD explained.

"Why on earth would Naruto want to steal the scroll?"

"He failed the Graduation Exam, and Mizuki said that if he successfully stole the scroll and learned a single technique from it, then he passed automatically."

"Why didn't you stop him?" The Jounin demanded. "You may not care much, but the secrets in that scroll are insanely dangerous, especially for that-" The man was stopped in mid-speech by a saber pointed at his throat. RiD grinned.

"I suggest you don't finish that sentence. I know what I'm doing."

"And what's that?"

"A test of my own. Third, I believe you said that if he graduates, I'm supposed to be his sensei? I want to see what you see in that failure, what makes him so special that you want ME to train him instead of the other Jounin who are more skilled at Ninjustu than me. If he passes MY test, then I'll teach him. However… If he fails you'll never ask me for this kind of stupidity again. Got it?"

"… So be it. But make sure that Scroll doesn't fall into Mizuki's hands."

"That will be easy. Even if he learned all of the secrets of that scroll, I'd still defeat him." RiD stepped back, forming hand seals. Suddenly, he disappeared in another swirl of leaves. A few minutes passed, and the Hokage groaned.

"… This has 'paperwork' written all over it…"

* * *

Hinata heard the news soon after leaving the Academy, forehead protector hanging around her neck. She could hardly believe that Mizuki would betray his student's trust in the way he did, and rushed off to help Naruto before it was too late. Using her clan's bloodline trait, the Byakugan, she easily found Naruto hiding in the nearby forest. Hoping she was quick enough to warn Naruto and strong enough to prevent a disaster, the Hyuuga heiress quickened her pace. 

To be continued…

* * *

"_I always knew… I always knew about the Kyuubi. I ignored the glares, and waved away the hate, because I had my friends… But now… I know that it was a lie… A lie to gain my trust… Iruka's just like the others… I can't believe it… Why?"_

"_Naruto, don't worry! Mizuki has to be lying to drive you insane! Let's take him down, together!"_

**_Next time on XIII Ninja: Falling Petals, Swinging Scythe (part 2): Mizuki's Dark Truths_**

"

* * *

"Yeah, I decided to cut this chapter into two so that I could update sooner."

Riku: "That's all well and good, but who the HELL is RiD?"

"… Fufufufu… I'll surprise you. Maybe. By the by, there will be almost NO OC's here, although in Kingdom Hearts spirit, I will include characters from other games in this world as heavily Naruto/Kingdom Hearts-ized versions of themselves. Expect Soul Calibur, various Final Fantasies, and possibly other characters to show up."

Riku: "Here's a list of characters who will definitely show up so far:"

Final Fantasy:

Fiona (FF:CC)

Mid Previa (FF5)

Llednar Twen (FFTA)

Soul Caliber:

Talim

Yun-seong

Astaroth

Setsuka

Mitsurugi Heishiro

Other:

???(Alias: RiD. To be revealed. Not an OC)

Chasers (Kingdom Hearts Series)

Auron (Kingdom Hearts, FFX)

"Unfortunately, the presence of some of these characters will be used to (I will ignore flames concerning this) replace certain characters I really don't want to try and write as team members."

Naruto: "Don't worry! Practically EVERYONE from Naruto will make it into future chapters, plus he'll be keeping at least one character from each team around as a teammate. Sadly for me, this includes Sasuke."

"Shut up. Also, I finally have a scanner, so I may update my Deviant Account, James-the Fox, with pictures of characters and scenes from my fiction."

Shadow: "They suck as much as his fictions, though."

"... You better start running. OK, I have to punish a certain Ultimate Lifeform, so I'll see you later."


	4. Mizuki's Dark Truths

XIII Ninja

By James The Fox

"I'm back!"

Naruto: "You worried me with that preview last chapter. You better not make this chapter end badly, or I'm going to kill you. Believe it!"

Hinata: "Y-yeah, and I'm… I'm going to help!"

Mizuki: "Don't worry, James. I'll protect you!" (Hugs a struggling author)

Orochimaru: "Yes, we'll protect you so you could make this story end well for us…"

"NOOOO!!!! I may be all-powerful here, but I do not want you two dorks everywhere I go! Get off!" (Sends the two villains flying.) "Dorks… I saw the Final Mix + Secret Ending. I'm scared for the worlds. On to the story!"

* * *

Naruto grinned as he opened the scroll. It had been ridiculously easy to sneak into the Hokage's Library and leave with the Forbidden Scroll. Then again… 

"You know, I think it might have been TOO easy. Something's fishy about this whole thing," Lexaeus said, speaking precisely what Naruto was thinking.

"Yeah, but I might as well try… AWWW MAANN!" Naruto sighed as he looked at the first Justu on the Scroll. "Multi Shadow Clone Justu… and I just barely got good at normal clones… Grrr… Well, better get started…"

* * *

Hinata sped through the trees, using her Byakugan to search for any trace of Naruto. It had been about one hour and thirty minutes since she had entered, but Naruto was very good at covering his tracks. It was almost like he was simply disappearing from one place and turning up in another! She suddenly saw what she was looking for by a small cabin. Naruto was there, training. She landed in a nearby tree, and glared at the ninja apprentice. Why did he have to be so hard to find when you didn't know where to look? She was definitely going to give her friend a piece of her mind and- 

"Don't… move." Hinata stared at the Jounin behind her with her Byakugan. He had silver hair down past his shoulders and bandages wrapped all about his face and neck, leaving a few loose bandages dangling down his chest. He wore a black stealth outfit with his forehead protector serving as a belt. He had a standard Jounin vest on, but it was black instead of green and had no symbols to show what nation he was from. Hinata instantly turned around, ready to defend herself from the newcomer, if need be. However, the ninja simply gave a grin (even though you could only barely see it under the bandages). "Hey, hey, hey! I have no reason to fight you. However, if you try to disturb these events, I may be forced to render you unconscious."

"Who are you?" Hinata felt she could trust this guy, but was still unsure.

"I'm… a judge of skill. Depending on how Naruto over there handles himself here, one of four things will happen." He put up four fingers to emphasize the things. "One, he'll end up graduating and becoming a ninja. Two, he'll not graduate. Three, well… three is number two, except that I will train him myself so that he passes the next exam no sweat. Four is the best situation, where he graduates AND I train him, molding him into a truly powerful warrior." As he counted each option, he ticked off each of his fingers, smiling. "The test should begin… 5… 4… 3…"

"Naruto, what do you think you're doing?" Iruka roared as he appeared on the scene just as the 'Judge' got to "2".

"Hmm. Guess I was a bit off… Ah well. Now, miss, do you think you can stay put no matter what happens?" Hinata nodded. "Good, because things are about to get messy." The Jounin turned towards the scene, where Naruto and Iruka had just figured out Mizuki's scheme.

* * *

"Naruto, look out!" Naruto turned around as a large shuriken flew at Naruto from the trees. Naruto dodged and landed in front of Iruka. 

"Well, speak of the silver-haired devil. And I'm not talking about Riku." Xigbar grinned at his joke, although everyone else groaned.

"Well, Naruto, look at what it's come to. I have no choice but to kill you if you don't give me the scroll now." At Mizuki's threat, Naruto simply smiled, putting the scroll on the ground.

"You don't want to threaten me…" Naruto grinned as he mentally turned to Marluxia. "You want to help out?"

"Sure, but you haven't actually mastered my powers. Hell, the only one you've called upon before is Roxas. You certain?"

"Yeah." With that, Marluxia glowed slightly, absorbing some of the excess Chakra the Kyuubi was giving off. Suddenly, he was enclosed in an orb of energy and a single beam of light shot towards the sky, linking Marluxia with Naruto. Back in the real world, Naruto's hair changed slightly, becoming the length of Marluxia's hair. The hair color changed slightly, gaining pink strands in places. Naruto's eyes suddenly gained a look about them, and killing intent raged through the battlefield. Strangely enough, pink cherry blossom petals fell from the sky gracefully. In a voice that seemed to be two, Naruto called out. "If you don't want to die, I suggest you surrender now."

"What are you going to do? Bury me in petals?" Mizuki taunted as a single cherry blossom petal fell into Naruto's outstretched and open hand. Mizuki's happiness turned into shock as a scythe with a pink blade came in to existence in Naruto's grasp. Without warning, Naruto lunged at Mizuki, swinging his scythe at the traitor. Mizuki jumped back into the trees, grinning as Naruto missed. However, the ninja welt a burning pain in his side as some of the petals merged into a flower bud, which had fired a shot of energy at Mizuki from behind. Mizuki growled as he lunged at the bud, swinging a kunai at it and destroying the bud. He continued to dodge attack after attack from Naruto. He laughed as he blocked a downward slash and countered, knocking Naruto to the ground.

'Knew you should have chosen someone you're more familiar with…' Marluxia growled in Naruto's head.

'Aw, shut it.' Naruto retorted as Mizuki idly spun his large shuriken.

"Poor, poor Naruto. Always being ignored, always hated and pushed away… and he doesn't even know why."

"Mizuki! Don't you dare…!" Iruka growled from right next to the Forbidden Scroll, which was only a few feet to the left of Naruto. "It's forbidden!"

"W-what's forbidden?" Naruto asked as he got up, using his Scythe as support.

"'_What's forbidden?'_" Mizuki said in a singsong tone. "Why… it's the reason you're hated by everyone. A secret known by everyone… and it is forbidden to tell anyone else… especially you… Wanna know?" Mizuki offered with a strange, sickening smile on his face.

"MIZUKI! DON'T!"

"I'll tell you… I'm certain you know of the Kyuubi from 13 years ago?" Naruto nodded. He knew that the Demon Fox was sealed within him. Organization XIII had introduced him to the fox during the beginning of his training, and Naruto never forgot the horror he felt just looking at it roar at him. "Well, it just so happens that the 4th Hokage didn't kill the monster. Instead, he sealed it…"

"MIZUKI! Stop now, before it's too-" Iruka was cut off by several kunai piercing him and knocking him to the ground.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto called out, but was rooted to the ground by something he couldn't understand.

"Now, now, Iruka, The boy needs to know. He has a _right_ to know." Mizuki's words reminded Roxas of something he said a long time ago…

"_I need to know. I have a _right_ to know."_

"_Nobodies don't have a right to know. They don't even have a right to _be_."_

"Now, where was I? Oh, yeah… The 4th Hokage sealed the Kyuubi into the form of a boy. A newborn baby boy, to be exact. So the fox has existed, forced to live its life as a mere human. Tell me, Naruto, who do **you** think the monster is?"

Naruto stared at the Ninja, completely silent. He had known about the Nine-Tailed Fox being sealed inside him, but to think that he actually…

"Completely silent? Okay, I'll tell you. You, Naruto. _YOU are the Kyuubi no Kitsune._" In that instant, the area around Naruto shattered, returning Naruto to normal form. He fell to his knees, barely registering everything around him except for Mizuki's words, which echoed around in his head, threatening to break his spirit like a simple glass mirror. His will to fight was broken.

* * *

Hinata gasped as she saw her friend collapse to the ground. 'It isn't true. It couldn't be… Naruto isn't… He would never…" Hinata was about to lunge forward and comfort her friend, but she remembered the threat of the ninja standing only inches from her. 

"_If you try to disturb these events…"_

"_I may be forced to render you unconscious."_

So Hinata watched as Mizuki spun his Shuriken, about to finish the boy off.

* * *

"Now die, Demon Fox!" Mizuki threw his Shuriken at Naruto, who made no effort to dodge. He watched it come at him as the world seemed to slow down around him. 

_'It's over…'_

_'I deserve this…'_

_'I'm… a monster…'_

_'That's probably why Iruka isn't letting me graduate… he thinks it's dangerous to have me as a shinobi… he's just like the others…'_

_'They all hate me… and with good reason, too…'_

_"Naruto! Get a hold of yourself! You are no demon! Do you think we'd have let you live this long you were?"_

_'Larxene?'_

_"She's right. Besides, the fact that you are so torn up about this proves that you aren't a Demon. Do you think a Demon would regret like you are right now?"_

_'Xaldin…'_

_"Plus, you're much less ugly than that Kyuubi, dude."_

_'Xigbar…'_

_"Fight, Naruto! FIGHT!"_

In a flash of dark energy, Naruto caught the shuriken. However, instead of bare hands grasping the blade, Naruto's hands had been covered with bandages and long claws reached out from his fingers where the bandages ended. A mix of purplish-black dark energy and red Demon Chakra seemed to be emanating from the claws, making it seem like his hands were on fire. Naruto grinned as he tossed the Shuriken aside like a toy he was no longer interested in.

_'Thank you, guys…'_

"Okay… I don't care anymore. Even if I am a demon… This village is my home, and I will protect it with my life. I have people who I care about, people that I won't stop protecting just because everyone else hates me."

_'Iruka…'_

_'Old man Hokage…'_

_'Hinata…'_

"And if you try to harm them… _**I'll kill you**_." In a flash of dark energy, Naruto was in the trees again, standing only a few feet from Mizuki.

"Big talk for a little kid! I'm gonna finish you with one move!"

"Try me." Naruto grinned as he put his hands in a hand seal, his face partially hidden behind dark flames. "_Taju_ _Kage Bunshin no Justu!_" Suddenly, an army of clones appeared, swarming Mizuki and giving the forest an appearance of a shadowy inferno.

"No… It couldn't be…" Mizuki stepped back as the army closed in upon him at high speed. The mob covered him, and screaming could be heard through the forest.

* * *

When at last Naruto had finished beating and clawing Mizuki, leaving him as a bloody, barely recognizable pulp, he turned to Iruka, who was smiling. Naruto picked up the scroll and brought it to him. 

"Pretty good, Naruto. You surprised me, when you created that army. There were real Shadow Clones, not illusions."

"You think? Heh. I guess that I'll just have to use that Justu next time the test comes around. I'll get the best score, believe it!" Iruka paused for a second and grabbed Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto… I have something for you. Close your eyes." Naruto obliged, and felt his teacher put something on his head. "Open." Naruto opened his eyes again, and felt cold metal on his forehead. "What-"

"Congratulations, you graduate."

"But-"

"Mizuki did say that you would pass if you were able to learn a Justu from that scroll, and I think that all that hard work you put into it shouldn't be wasted. I'll work out the details." Iruka's face split into a mischievous grin, one very much like a seasoned prankster's.

"… Thanks, Iruka-sensei!"

* * *

As the two of them celebrated, Hinata let out a sigh. Naruto had made it through okay, and he wasn't getting punished. In fact, he was going to graduate! 

"That kid… It looks like the Hokage was right." The Jounin frowned. "Man, I guess this means I won't be making ANBU anytime soon. Damn kid…"

* * *

The Hokage smiled as RiD finished relaying the story to him. "Now… I'd like to make a few recommendations to my team other than Naruto." 

"Hmm?"

"First off… Naruto doesn't seem to have many friends, and since I for one believe that it's easier to work with friends, I'd like one of his friends to join the team. A girl named… Ah… Hinata Hyuuga, I believe."

"The other?"

"One Llednar Twem. I'm familiar with his family and his skills may be useful for what I have in mind…"

* * *

"_Naruto, now that you're a ninja, I think it would be a smart idea for a few changes…"_

"_Like what?"_

"_Your catch phrase, for one."_

"_My… Oh, no. I'm not giving up my catch phrase, believe it! And besides, you have a catch phrase, too!"_

"_Yeah, but mine's better. Yours is lame? Got it memorized?"_

"_Naruto may have a lame catch phrase, but I've heard worse."_

"_Like what, Roxas?"_

"_It's really annoying, ya know? Kinda stupid, too, ya know! It belongs to that Rai person, ya kn-"_

"_I get it! Still, I'd really like to get rid of that stupid catch phrase."_

_**Nest time on XIII Ninja: My name is Konohamaru: Quest for a Catch Phrase!**_

"

* * *

"I hate Naruto's catch phrase."

Roxas: "Uh oh."

"What?"

Roxas: "I see a mob from SCPUU."

"Eh?"

Roxas: "Stupid Catch Phrase Users United. They want your head."

"Crap, already? Anyway… If you happen to have a suggestion for any new catch phrase for Naruto, please send it with your review."

Naruto: "I'm gonna kill you, believe it!"

Ron: "Bloody Hell, I'm gonna enjoy this."

Talim: "You will fall, because I am one with the wind!"

"Oh, boy. I'm cutting transmission!"


	5. My Name is Konohamaru!

XIII Ninja

By James The Fox

(The Author stares at the destruction wrought by all the Fanfiction Authors jumping in to save his sorry behind. A small smile appears on his lips.) "I love the smell of destruction in the morning."

Naruto: "How the heck did I survive?"

"I revived you. After all, I do need you for the story. I also need... _them_." (Points to Rock Lee and Might Gai, who, even as corpses, are struggling to get up and give a 'shiny smile')

Gai: "The power... youth... prevail..."

"Darn. _Full-Life_!" (Both characters get up.) "Well, with that settled, on to the story!"

* * *

"…First off… Naruto doesn't seem to have many friends, and since I for one believe that it's easier to work with friends, I'd like one of his friends to join the team. A girl named… Ah… Hinata Hyuuga, I believe." RiD said as he explained his terms to taking Naruto as a student. 

"The other?" RiD smiled.

"One Llednar Twem. I'm familiar with his family and his skills may be useful for what I have in mind."

"You mean… _the_ Twem Llednar?" The Hokage replied in shock, ignoring RiD's usual grammar errors.

"Yes. I've already talked it over with Remedi-sama. All I need is for it to be official."

"… So be it. From here on out, Team 11 will consist of RiD, Twem Llednar, Hyuuga Hinata, and Uzumaki Naruto."

"… You know… I think this may be the start of an interesting experience…"

* * *

"Oh, come on, Old Man! I worked really hard on that!" 

"… I understand, but you need to have your picture taken normally, WITHOUT the face paint."

"But this picture is awesome, believe- agh!" Naruto grunted, feeling a pain in his head as Axel finally had enough.

"I'VE HAD IT! I HATE THAT STUPID CATCH PHRASE! I don't care what you do, just get rid of it!" He roared as fire surrounded him.

"We could search for a new catch phrase, ya know?" Roxas suggested, only to be hit over the head by Axel.

"But I like my catch phrase!" Naruto whined mentally as he continued his conversation with the Hokage, barely taking notice as he tried his 'Sexy Justu' to get what he wanted, causing the Hokage to recoil from the force of the nosebleed he got. He also barely acknowledged the little boy, Konohamaru, as he argued with Axel. "My catch phrase is way better than yours is, anyway! Believe it!"

"Believe what, that you have a stupid catch phrase? 'Cause it is. Got it memorized? STUPID." Axel said the last word slowly, as if talking to an idiot. Naruto growled.

"Fine! How about this: If you can find a better catch phrase for me by the end of the day, I'll start using it instead. However, if you can't, you stop bugging me about it AND you get rid of your catch phrase." Everyone gasped. Xemnas had tried to make Axel give up the catch phrase once, and it hadn't turned out very well for the leader of the XIII Order. **No one** takes away Axel's catch phrase. Roxas, in shock, looked at Axel, wondering what he was going ot say.

"...Sounds good to me. I can find one that isn't stupid." That argument done, Naruto turned back to his conversation with the Hokage, only to see the little boy glaring at him.

"What are you looking at?"

"You just said that you were gonna be the next Hokage." Naruto thought to himself remembering what had been happening outside of his mind…

"Yeah, I did… What about it?"

"You're not." The look on the boy's face was one of resolve, as if he knew what he said was true. Naruto's eye twitched.

"What makes ya think that, kid?"

"Because the next Hokage… will be me." Naruto stared at the little kid for a bit, before bursting out in laughter.

"You? Nuh uh, no way!"

"Huh?"

"You don't have what it takes. I saw you try to kill your old man. You've got no hope!" Naruto shrugged. "Now, if you don't mind, I have better things to do than argue with you!" The Genin turned around and left the room, with three dumbstruck Ninja and a really ticked off kid in the dust.

* * *

A blur of red streaked across the courtyard toward a brown haired, blue eyed woman wielding a small sickle. The woman smiled as she sidestepped her attacker, spinning to block a strike at her back, but surprised to see nothing there. 

"_Seishi Hason!" _The woman looked up, dodging yet another attack, albeit barely. Her assailant hit the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust. The woman smiled again.

"You've grown strong, Llednar." A young man stepped from the cloud. The boy wore red cloth over a long sleeved cotton shirt of a lighter shade of red. His hands were covered by brown leather gloves with metal studs in the knuckles, and he grasped a sword in his right hand. The boy's shirt split at the waist, causing it to look like a trenchcoat. White baggy pants went down into legwarmers. Like any other person, he wore a pair of ninja sandals. His face, topped with a red hat with white ribbons falling down his back to his waist covering his hair, looked innocent enough at first glance, but at first glance only. The boy's yellow eyes burned with a fire unlike anything a person would ever desire to see. Llednar stepped up to the woman, bowing respectfully.

"I am glad to please you, Remedi-sama."

"Indeed. I expect to hear nothing but good things about you from your teacher."

"And indeed you will!" Llednar and Remedi turned around to face the intruder. Standing under a nearby tree was a man whose face was covered by bandages with silver hair. He was clapping, as if applauding an excelent play. "You certainly live up to all my expectations. Who could expect anything less from the prodigy of the Twem Clan, said to be a match for the Hyuuga clan's heir?"

"She was weak from living with her father's… overzealous expectations. If she was just free to reach her true potential, free from her family's influence…" Llednar started.

"Ah, but you beat her none the less! Speaking of her, by the way… I believe she will be with us, as a member of my three man team."

"So… You're my sensei?" Llednar asked. Remedi smiled faintly.

"Yep. You can call me RiD."

"As you wish, RiD-sensei."

"…No. Please, just RiD. I really don't like those titles… I don't use them unless necessary."

"Okay… RiD." Llednar said, unsure of what to think about his new… teacher.

* * *

"Catchphrases, catchphrases…" Axel muttered to himself as Naruto walked down the street. "Why the heck don't they have a store where you can browse for those things?" 

"Because, you can't just buy a catch phrase. And even if you could, I'm not gonna let ya." Naruto grinned at the hopeless predictament the Flurry of Dancing Flames was in. Suddenly, he heard a sound from behind, and turned to face it, but sighed. Even if he wasn't able to sense the hearts of others, he could easily notice the boy from before hiding under a fake rock.

"Stop hiding! I can see you, kid."

"I'm no kid! The name's Konohamaru and…" The boy thought for a moment, as if contemplating his descision. "I want to be your student. I **demand** that you teach me!" Naruto froze in mid-step. Axel burst into laughter.

"Student? Teach? Oh, this kid can't be serious, can he? And what's with this whole 'I demand' thing? We have much better things to do than teach a little runt like him!" Naruto ignored number VIII as he continued his rant about useless little wannabes.

"… Fine, I have nothing better to do right now. What do ya want to learn?"

* * *

Hatake Kakashi smiled as he read his favorite book, Make-Out Paradise, while sipping tea. The perpetually tardy pervert of a ninja laughed, presumably at a phrase in the book. 

"Well, well! If it isn't Kakashi Hatake, the Sharingan Warrior and lover of perverted reading material!" Kakashi fixed his mask and turned to face the fool who said it, and saw a Jounin with bandages masking most of his face, leaving only his eyes and silver hair revealed. The Sharingan-weilding Jounin smirked.

"RiD... I've heard much about you. A powerful ninja from who-knows-where, who aims to become a member of the ANBU Black Ops. In the short time that you've been a ninja, you've been said to have completed 8 S-Rank missions and nothing lower than a B-Rank mission. There are said to be no less than 40 different bounty hunters after you all over the world, maybe more."

"46, actually, including a 7-year-old boy who chased me with a stick in Kusa no Kuni, if I've heard the rumors right." RiD smiled.

"Some people think you became so strong because you performed a dark ritual which required you to kill anyone who had even the smallest connection to you at the time."

"... It **would** explain how I'm such an enigma..." Rid frowned as he scratched his head, as if trying to remember something. "Of course, these rumors are just that, rumors. Trust me, in this case, truth really IS stranger than fiction." Kakashi grined.

"...You haven't changed a bit... so, how has my old student been?"

"Eh, fine. I just got to meet the one of the members of my first Genin Team. He's got some serious skill on him, and I think he'll be someone I'll enjoy teaching with. I was just about to visit the second of them, a girl I met a few days ago, but I don't think I'll have the time to, now that I've met with an old friend." The two Jounin laughed. Kakashi stuck his hand into one of his pockets.

"Well, RiD, in recognition of your first Genin Team, I'll give you this!" Kakashi pulled out an orange book and presented it to RiD.

"Wait, is this..." RiD's eyes widened.

"The newest volume. I was waiting for the perfect opportunity."

"... My old friends would kill me for reading this if they were here right now... But I apparently killed them to gain ultimate power, so I'll help myself." RiD took Make-Out Paradise and proceeded to read it...

* * *

Axel looked frantically through Naruto's memories and various books, racing against time. It was 5:42 and his time was almost up. Naruto was resting with Konohamaru after the "Honorable grandson of the Third Hokage" mastered Naruto's classic move, the Sexy Justu. A little trouble had come up when the kid's real teacher had shown up and tried to take the kid with him, but Naruto, in a combination of Shadow clones and his own perverted technique that prompted Larxene to promise a horrible death to the boy, 'defeated' the Jounin. Naruto was currently repeating his own rendition of Xemnas' 'It takes hard work' speech to the younger child. Finally, Axel found something. 

"Dattebayo... Don't know what it means, but I like it! Hey Naruto! What do you think of 'Dattebayo?'"

'It sounds... awesome! I'll make good use of it, beli- I mean, dattebayo!' Axel sighed in relief. He had been so close to losing his catch phrase...

"Hey, Axel... Do you even know what that word means?" Xemnas asked as he picked up the dictionary Axel had used.

"No, why?"

"Just hoping you didn't give him an obsen... Axel..." Xemnas pinched his nose.

"Yes?"

"'Dattebayo' has no meaning, you idiot. It's just to make someone sound tougher than they are. It's technically _worse_ than his old one."

"What? No way!"

"It is. _Believe it_." Xemnas growled the last sentence.

Absolute silence...

"NNOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo!"

* * *

_"Whoa! This teacher... this RiD guy... He's something else! He's far too fast for me!"_

_"Come on, kids, you have to be better than that!"_

_**Next Time on XIII Ninja: Survival Exam: Battle for the Bells!**_

* * *

RiD: (Stares at Riku over his Make Out Paradise book.) 

Riku: (Stares at RiD.)

RiD: "..."

Riku: "..."

Both: "... Nope, I don't think so."

"Weirdos. Sorry this chapter is so late, but I have some good news!"

Riku: "You're quitting?"

Jiraiya: "You're giving me a hot girlfriend?"

RiD: "You're giving me a hot girlfriend, then quitting?"

"...No, not happening, and not a snowball's chance in heck. I did some work on the previous chapters of this story, fixing spelling errors. I also 'Japanese-ized' some elements of the story. When characters call out the Justu they're using, they call it by the japanese name. When just mentioning it, with the exception of certain techniques, the Justu is refered to by its english name. Also, with the exception of off worlders, the way character's names are spoken are Japanese-ized."

**EXAMPLE**

**Naruto: "Hyuuga Hinata."**

**Riku: "Hinata Hyuuga."**

"I think it fits better that way. See ya next chapter."


	6. Battle for the Bells

XIII Ninja

By James The Fox

RiD: "Sosei inai Kuragri!"

"... Say what?"

Riku: "... What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

RiD: "Sosei inai Kuragri!"

"... Repeating the sentence won't help. Okay... I'm gonna get my translator. You guys enjoy the fiction while we figure out what he's saying."

RiD: "Sosei inai Kuragri!"

* * *

"Hello, Hiashi." the aforementioned head of the Hyuuga clan (and Hinata's father) jumped around, shocked that he hadn't noticed the Jounin behind him.

'With those eyes and that hair... that could only be...' "RiD."

"Indeed."

"What are you doing here?"

"I just came to say that as of now, I am your daughter's teacher. She will work as part of my three man squad, alongside Naruto Uzumaki and Llednar Twem. I hope that we can talk sometime concerning the training I intend to give her." RiD said, reading his newly-gotten book. "However, I have another date coming up, and I really don't want to be late. Gotta make a good impression." Before Hiashi could respond, RiD had dissapeared, just as silently as he had appeared. Hiashi considered this development.

"... He's... something else. To be able to get here without even one guard seeing him..."

* * *

Naruto got out of bed, yawning. Lazily, he walked into his "kitchen," better defined as his ramen storage. A single package of the noodles were lifted by a small haze of darkness and poured into a bowl with liquid and put over the stove. Xemnas usually told Naruto off for this misuse of such a dangerous tool, but right now, Xemnas didn't really care. Along with the rest of the Organization, they were squabbling at the demon fox container like overprotective parents, making him check his pack for anything he might need on his first day as a Ninja.

"Do you have your kunai and shuriken? Close range is nice, but long range weapons win wars, dude!" Xigbar asked.

"Yeah, I've got em."

"What about that earth scroll you found the other day?" Lexaus queried.

"Sure, sure."

"Packed lunch?" Demyx asked.

"Hinata's got it."

"She might forget, or be in a different team," Luxord reminded. "Now, playing cards?"

"What would he need those for?" Roxas asked as Naruto put a pack of playing cards and lunch in his pack.

"His teacher might be lazy and not have anything to teach today."

"That's what we're here for," Zexion sighed. "You and your gambling... List of dangerous ninja? Best to know what you might be up against!" Naruto complied, putting the book next to the cards.

"Explosive tags?" Axel asked Naruto. Naruto smiled and pulled some out of his pocket.

"Never without em."

"How about firecrackers? Any matches in there? Popping packets?" Xemnas turned to Axel.

"What would he those for?"

"Oh, not for survival. Always gotta think about new pranks. Especially the ones that _burn_ stuff."

"Axel... Naruto, what are you doing? What have I told you about using the Darkness for such trivial matters?" Naruto was stuffing a windmill shuriken into his pack while the haze of darkness was lifting chopsticks and using them to feed Naruto his just-finished ramen.

"Sorry!"

* * *

Naruto walked into the classroom, looking at the people sitting in the chairs. As he did, he felt the sudden urge to review to himself what he knew about them, just in case he went into the same team as them. He saw a raven haired boy sitting on his own. He was wearing a blue shirt with a high collar to it and white shorts.

'Hmm... Uchiha Sasuke. I wouldn't mind being stuck with him that much... A little broody, but a good training partner. Axel wants to know how he breathes fire like that. Just about every girl in school has some form of a crush on him...' Sitting a few rows ahead was a boy with his black hair in a short ponytail. He was currently napping.

'Nara Shikamaru, the laziest guy I've ever seen! He apparently has some kind of special technique, but I've never seen him use it. A nice guy, when he isn't lazy.' Sitting next to Shikamaru was a obese-looking boy who was currently stuffing his mouth full of chips.

'Choji... The human vacuum cleaner. I think he has a eating disorder...' Choji tossed the bag of chips into a pile, then pulled out another bag. 'No... I KNOW he has a eating disorder. The only time he does anything useful is ether when there's food in it for him and when someone calls him fat. But when he does something, he does it well.' Sitting one the other side of the room with his dog was a brown haired boy wearing a hooded jacket.

'Kiba... that kid just plain annoys me, dattebayo! Always taunting me... grrr... punk.' Sitting in his own corner was a sunglasses-clad boy whose collar was able to hide his mouth. Sitting on his outstrecthed hand was a moth, whom he seemed to be communicating with.

'Shino... He's creepy. Xemnas keeps swearing that he's a Nobody, like he was, what with how he doesn't seem to have any emotions. _Creepy._' Suddenly two girls burst into the room, one pink-haired and the other a blonde who had her hair in a ponytail. They seemed to be competing for the seat next to Sasuke, knocking eachother back through various means.

"Face it, I got here first, Sakura!" The blonde screeched.

'Yamanaka Ino, the crazy, bossy, and really scary woman. Happens to be one of Sasuke's biggest fans. Larxene keeps remarking that Ino's similar to her. I agree. They both scare me when they're mad.'

"Stuff it, Ino-pig! Sasuke is MINE! I am NOT going to lose to you." Sakura replied, . Almost like a transparent image over her that only Naruto seemed to notice, another 'Sakura' seemed to roar, _**"Shannaro! And if you even try to take him, I'LL KILL YOU!"**_

'Haruno Sakura. If Ino's as scary as Larxene, Sakura is much, MUCH, **MUCH **worse. Plus, there's that freaky version of her that keeps popping up. I swear, I almost wet myself when it shows up.' In thier struggle for Sasuke's affection, Ino knocked Sakura into a springy, goggles-wearing, blue-lab-coat-clad blonde boy who seemed to be working on some kind of projectile launcher, meant to fire shuriken. The boy, in shock pulled a trigger on the weapon, accidently firing a shuriken at Naruto, who barely dodged it.

'Twem-Previa Mid. A nerd who doesn't really have much talent when it comes to combat, but has plenty of gadgets to compensate that. He's actually a plesant guy to be around. One of the few sane people around here, other than Hinata.' The shuriken bounced off the wall, heading straight for Hinata, who made to catch it, but was spared the effort at the last minute. A red-clad blonde deflected the projectile with his sword. He picked up the ninja star, handing it to Mid.

"You really should be more careful with your weapons, Mid. You could havee inadvertadly started a war between clans if you had hit the Hyuuga Clan's heiress."

"Y-yes, of course, Llednar-sama. I'll remember to keep the safety on next time."

"I hope you do."

'Twem Llednar. He's one of the toughest guys I've ever met, and kinda like Sasuke, except not quite as emo. In contrast, he wears that psyco red and white outfit so often that Xigbar keeps joking that maybe he **wants** somebody to attack him.' Suddenly, Iruka stepped into the room, and things quickly settled down. Naruto sat next to Hinata, and waited patiently for Iruka to announce the teams. Right before Iruka was about to place genin into teams, a girl with blonde, flower-petel like hair and emerald eyes rushed into the room. She was wearing steel gloves and a white dress.

"Sorry I'm late! I was held back by my instructor. I hope I didn't inconvenience anyone."

'Twem-Alfitaria Fiona. Almost constantly late from her absent-minded private teacher, Twem-Alfitaria Knocfella. However, she has some talent with her spear.'

"Just take your seat." Iruka proceeded to place people in teams.

* * *

"...Team 7, Uchiha Sasuke, ("Hmph.") Haruno Sakura, ("YES!" _**"TAKE THAT, INO-PIG! SHANNARO!"**_) and Twem-Alfitaria Fiona.("I guess that will do...")"

"Team 8, Inuzuka Kiba, ("Here we go, Akamaru!" "Arf!") Aburame Shino, ("...") and Twem-Previa Mid. ("At least I'm not in the same team as Sakura...")"

"Team 9, Twem Llednar, ("Hyuuga... Uzumaki... RiD...") Hyuuga Hinata, ("O-Okay...") and Uzumaki Naruto. ('YES! I'm with Hinata!' "Okay, I'm ready!")"

"Team 10, Yamanaka Ino, ("I still can't believe Sakura got in Sasuke's team...") Akimichi Choji, (**MUNCH-CRUNCH!**) and Nara Shikamaru. ("Ino... on my team? How troublesome...")" Iruka put down the list and called the class to attention. "Okay, listen up! You will be waiting here with your teamates until your Jounin leader arrives and calls out for your team."

* * *

Hours later, all but two teams sat waiting for thier teachers... Team 7 had spent the time obsessing over how late thier teacher was, hoping that this was a one-time thing. Meanwhile, Team 9 spent the time getting aqquainted (Or rather, Naruto and Hinata were trying to start a convesation with Llednar.).

"So... I've been wondering... Why do you wear those clothes?" Naruto asked. It took a long while for Llednar to reply.

"... To cover the body and prevent embarassment, obviously." Llednar replied, keeping a neutral face. Naruto facepalmed.

"I meant, why do you wear THOSE clothes?"

"... Hmm... I don't know. Why don't you tell him why you wear those clothes, Hinata-sama? Have you lost your voice?" Naruto facepalmed again.

"I was asking YOU why YOU wear THOSE clothes." Naruto said, pointing to Llednar and his strange garments to emphasize the point.

"... They are the traditional clothes of the Twem Clan's heir, or Biskmatar. Didn't you know?"

"... No... that's why I asked."

"I... see. You really aren't that smart sometimes, are you?" Naruto didn't have time to respond as a bandaged Jounin poked his head through the door.

"Team... what was it?... Um... Right... 9! Team 9! Any takers?"

"Oh, that's us!" Hinata said.

"Woohoo! Finally!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Who's this guy think he is, keeping us waiting like that?" Axel growled.

"... I don't know... but he feels... familiar..." Roxas said. What was it about this guy?

"Come with me, then!" The Ninja and his students left the room, leaving Team 7 to wonder when their team showed up.

* * *

The Ninja led them out to the tree just outside of the Academy. Sitting lazily upon the swing hanging from one of it's branches, the Jounin adressed them.

"Well, welcome to your first day as a true ninja! Now, before we do anything, how about we introduce ourselves? I'll start first." The ninja swung lightly on the swing. "Pretty sturdy... Anyway, as at least one of you know, my name is RiD. My likes are people who are a worthy challenge on the battlefield and those who are willing to put others before themselves. My dislikes are people who... well... are the opposite of my likes. My hobbies are sparring, racing, and sitting down and thinking about life. My goals and ambitions are... to become a skilled member of the ANBU Black Ops and to find someone close to my heart."

"I don't know why, but I keep getting the feeling that I knew this guy... A long time ago..." Roxas pondered. "But who... no... it couldn't be..."

"Huh? Roxas, who does this guy remind you of?" Axel asked.

"... Nevermind... It's just not possible. There's no way this guy could be who I think he is... It's unimportant." Axel laid off the questioning, worried about his friend.

"Now, who's next?" RiD asked. Naruto jumped up from his spot on the ground.

"Me! My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen and my friends. I dislike people who threaten my friends, and my hobbies are..." 'Nope, not talking about my gardening...' "Training, pulling pranks, and trying out different kinds of ramen. And my goal is... to be the Hokage! That way, everyone will respect me, dattebayo!"

"Hmm... Pulling pranks, huh? Are you good at it?"

"Very!"

"... Then you might make for a very good ninja. I find that thinking like a ninja and thinking like a prankster can be rather similar at times. Pulling a good trap off is like setting an effective prank. Wait until the perfect moment, and strike your target when they least expect it with what they least expect. That is the perfect technique to pull a prank and a trap. Remember tips like that, and you'll definitly make Hokage." RiD smiled approvingly under his bandages. "Now, how about... you, little girl?" Ignoring the implication behind being called a 'little girl,' Hinata stood as Naruto sat.

"I'm... Hyuuga Hinata. I like... people who care about thier friends... and those who don't judge a book by its cover, so to speak... I dislike people who try to hurt my friends and those who can't see past a person's outer appearence. My hobby is pressing flowers and... being with my friends. My goal is... to prove myself to everyone who has ever doubted me... and to pay back any debts I owe others."

'Hmm... they've grown up very nicely. Hyuuga Hinata, the failure who befriended the demon fox, they call her... And Uzumaki Naruto, the "Kyuubi no Yoko incarnate" who want's to become Hokage. It will be hard for him... but if he's got the talent I think he has... He can do it.'

"Now for you," RiD said, pointing at Llednar. Calmly, the Twem Clan's heir stood.

"My name... Twem Llednar. I like the strong. I dislike those who are weakened by thier own foolishness. I prefer to train and become stronger. My goal... To complete my training and rule the Twem Clan wisely."

'Huh... Short and sweet.' "... Okay. Now that we know each other, we are going to meet for our first mission. Meet me at Training Area 13. We're going to see just how well you work together." RiD pulled out a small orb and threw it at the ground, causing a flash of light. When the flash was over, RiD was long gone. Naruto grinned.

"Hey, guys, want to beat him there?"

"As much as I hate to burst your bubble... that would be impossible," Llednar stated as if it were a clear fact.

"On foot, maybe, but you haven't ever taken my way, dattebayo! Watch this..."

* * *

RiD landed in training area 13, only to see Naruto, Hinata, and Llednar standing before him. The former was grinning broadly, obviously proud that he'd gotten to the training area before his teacher. Hinata was standing nearby, looking politely confident. Llednar was as still as a statue, his expression unreadable.

"So... I've heard stories amoung other Jounin about how you were able to travel long distances in a very short time. It is interesting to see that those rumours are true."

"N-Naruto-kun opened up a strange portal that took us straight here." Hinata stuttered. She was getting better, but her confidence wasn't perfect.

"Is that right? That seems like a very advanced technique. And you allowed them to come with?"

Llednar gave a superior grin, creating a break in the concrete mask that seemed to be his face. "He suggested that we come with."

"...Very good, then. When on a mission, it is very important to work with your allies. This includes helping them with your techniques and trusting them to help. That is what this upcoming test is all about." RiD pulled out three bells. "Now, The purpose of this test is to collect all three bells. Those who don't collect a bell by the end of this little exercise will fail, and go back to the academy."

"WHAT?" Naruto exclaimed.

"B-B-But...!" Hinata stammered.

"Tch. A way to weed out the weak... However... I believe that we will succeed. There is no doubt in my mind." Llednar said matter-of-factly.

"You have one hour, then. I want you to come at me with the intention to kill. When this timer..." RiD pointed to a small clock he placed on a stump. "Dings once, you may begin. When it dings twice in quick succession, the challenge is over. On my count... 3..."

DING! Team 9 jumped into hiding, instantly searching for a way to strike.

"... Why do I always have the timing off?" RiD sighed. Suddenly, nine shuriken came out of a tree behind RiD. The silver-haired Jounin pulled out his saber, blocking all of them, only to have to dodge another barage that came from the water.

"Man... He's fast. Way too fast for me to take out alone," Naruto growled. "And even with Llednar attacking from underwater..."

"Come on, kids, you have to do better than that!" RiD taunted.

"You want better, huh?... Xigbar?"

"Yeah, dude?"

"Wanna help out?"

"Sorry, dude. This is your fight. If we just came in whenever you wanted, you'd never get any better. Besides, we might seriously hurt him." Xigabr pulled out an orange book from the vast library of all the books in Naruto's world. "Huh... Icha Icha Paradise... Wonder what that's about..."

"Grr..." Suddenly, he saw Hinata sending signals to him. Slowly, he got the message, and grinned, sending a few signals back. "Here we come, RiD-sensei!"

* * *

RiD sighed. "What are they planning?" Suddenly, a kunai flew right at him. Grinning, he dodged the attack, noticing Hinata in the bushes. Hinata, realizing she'd been spotted, threw several more kunai at him. RiD sped forward, ready to take the girl out. At the last moment, Hinata jumped forward, ramming at her teacher. RiD dodged and got behind her, loosing a spinning kick as he did so. He connected, and the Hyuuga heiress tumbled onto her back. Suddenly, Hinata gave a strange smile, one that, as far as he knew, didn't suit her... and dissapeared. Too late, RiD turned around to see Hinata throw an open palm thrust at his chest. Knowing of the Hyuuga's Gentle Fist style, Rid moved, trying to make sure she didn't hit any vital organs. Suddenly, a red blur rushed out of the water, throwing deadly-accurate kunai and shuriken at the instructor. Just as he stepped back to dodge the attack, a bandaged claw burst from the ground, bursting with red chakra and dark energy, grabbing RiD's leg.

'Of course! Naruto used his clone and a transformation to make a fake Hinata, while the real deal hid near the fake. At the same time, Naruto got underground and waited, predicting how Hinata and Llednar would make me dodge... and then struck when I got too close! Damn... I must be losing my touch.' RiD though at one of the shuriken cut the bells loose from where they were hanging, at his belt. Hinata took all three bells, tossing one to Llednar. Naruto's other hand burst out, and Hinata placed the bell in his palm just as the timer dinged twice. RiD sighed. He plain out lost to a bunch of Genin... Kakashi would never let him hear the end of it...

* * *

"Not bad. That is the kind of thinking that will let you three succeed in any mission."

"There was no way I was gonna let us get sent back to the Academy!" Naruto exclaimed.

"... Actually, Naruto..." RiD scratched his head. "I lied about that. That was a little prank of my own. You all should have seen your faces!" 'Not that the Hokage would have let me send Naruto back...' RiD laughed. Team 9, however, was stone silent.

"... What a dirty little..."

"I-I never...

"No one... NO ONE crosses me and gets away with it..."

RiD suddenly felt a surprising amount of killing intent, especially from Naruto, who had enough killing intent for 14 people. He gulped and quickly started forming hand seals. "Uh... G-Gotta go! First real mission tomorrow! Gotta go get ready! See ya!" In a puff of smoke, RiD dissapeared, leaving a log in his place.

* * *

"RiD... Who was that guy?" Roxas asked to no one in particular, staring into the abyss.

* * *

_"Oh, yeah! Our first real mission, dattebayo! I wonder what it will be."_

_"Likely grunt work. Walking dogs, babysitting... that kind of stuff."_

_"What? There's no way I'm gonna do a mission like that! I want something cool!"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: The Land of Waves: I'm a real Ninja Now!**_

* * *

"Yay! I actually have time to write fiction! Awesome!"

Riku: "NOOOOOOO!"

Jiraiya: "NOOO-Wait, does this mean I get a hot girlfriend?"

"Not unless you get a girlfriend in the manga or anime."

Jiraiya: (Falling to his knees) _**"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

"Idiot pervert..."


	7. The Land of Waves

XIII Ninja

By James The Fox

"I'm a happy guy."

Shadow: (Cautiously) "Why would that be?"

"I have a computer that is all mine! this means I can write as often as I want without worrying about getting booted of by family members. I'm so happy that I think I'll sing about it!"

Yuna: (Guns Pointed at James) "You better not!"

"Fine. I won't sing at all... Party pooper... Next Chapter, Go!"

* * *

Naruto got up and at the location he had the bell test in record time, although Xemnas was still chewing the fox container out for such misuse of Darkness. Soon after, Hinata and Llednar arrived. Although Llednar looked as calm as always, Naruto could sense, just barely, a feeling of anxiousness. Hinata looked tired, as though she hadn't been able to go to sleep, but excited at the prospect of finally being a true ninja.

"Hey, Hinata, Llednar!"

"H-hello, Naruto," Hinata said groggily, in a way that Naruto knew her father would snort at. He was strict, but underneath it all (And there was alot of stuff that could be classified as "all") he really did care about her.

"... Where do you think RiD is? Oh, and hello to you too, Naruto..." Llednar grumbled. Naruto could tell that the guy was feeling impatient with their teacher. RiD hadn't even told them where they were going to meet up, or when they were to meet him there. So, as a precaution, Llednar decided that the three of them would meet at the same training area at 7:00 sharp, training with each other until RiD showed up. "So, Naruto, you promised you'd bring scrolls for us to train with. You have them?"

"Well, duh!" Naruto grinned as he opened a small portal of darkness. Vexen and the others had just taught him how to create a sort of infinite void where he could keep anything he wanted to have at any given moment without it always weighing him own and risking being stolen. He reached into the portal, past his spare kunai, to some scrolls he had gotten from the Hokage as a gift. He pulled out, one by one, a fire scroll, a wind scroll, a taijustu style scroll, and a scroll he used to record the techniques Organization XIII had taught him. Llednar raised his eyebrows at the third scroll.

"I've never seen a technique scroll like that, Naruto."

"... Oh, this?" Naruto asked, lifting up the custom scroll. "Yeah, it's a list of the special Justu that I use!"

"... Like the portal thing we used to beat RiD here yesterday?" Hinata asked as she caught the wind scroll Naruto tossed to her.

"Yeah. It's really cool, dattebayo!"

"Good for you... Now, let's get training." Llednar said, accepting the fire scroll as Naruto looked carefully at the Taijustu scroll in his hand.

* * *

"So, Kakashi, how did things go with Sasuke? I know you've had your eyes- er, eye, on him for as long as I've known you. Did he meet your expectations?"

"He did alright. The team as a whole, though..."

"Heh... I take things didn't go smoothly?"

"... Sasuke thought all about himself, not taking into account his teamate's skills... Sakura was so focused on Sasuke she didn't have time to think about anything- or anyone- else... Fiona was the only one who even thought of the team working together, but she just couldn't bring herself to voice her opinion, choosing instead to let the other two come at me thier own way... They got the message, in the end... but only barely. How about you, RiD? I take it that you did the bell test as well."

"Well, I made a point in assembling a team of people who knew each other and was already efficient in teamwork, even if some weren't as good in other areas... Naruto and Hinata were able to persuade Llednar to work with them, and they performed very well. They were lacking in thier other skills, and if they hadn't worked together so well, all three would have failed my test... Instead, they timed thier attacks perfectly, and Naruto's Shadow Clone was able to fool me into thinking he was Hinata. I told them that thier first mission was today, and left."

"... Didn't you tell them where they were to meet you? You did do that, right?"

"... OH, CRAP!" RiD dissapeared in a swirl of leaves, obviously frantic about his students. Kakashi looked at the spot where he was.

" ...He didn't need to be so frantic about it... Hmm... I'm late... Feh, what's another two hours?"

* * *

RiD dashed to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar, Hyuuga Compound, and the Twem Compound in a frantic search for his students, only to find out from Remedi-sama that the trio had decided to meet at Training Area 13 2 hours ago. When he got there, he was suprised at what he saw.

Hinata dodged a strike from Naruto, albeit akwardly, and retaliated with a few open-palm attacks at his sides. Naruto dissapeared in a pilar of darkness, warping a fair distance away, leaving hinata enough time to perform several hand seals, drawing in a breath as she did so.

_"__Iki Karakaze no Justu!" _she breathed out, as a strong gust of wind issued from her mouth, straight toward Naruto. The blonde was blown off his feet, a fact Hinata quickly took advantage of by throwing a shuriken. It hit its mark, and Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing it to be a clone.

Meanwhile, Llednar blocked a solid kick from another clone, retaliating with a punch towards the jaw. Naruto evaded this, and jumped back, throwing several shuriken at the Twem clan's heir, who, in the blink of an eye, expertly drew his sword and blocked them. Smirking, Llednar sped towards the Kyuubi container, sheathing his sword as he did so. His smirk only got wider as he got inside Naruto's guard, sweeping the blond off his feet with a low kick, all the while forming a flurry of seals.

_"Katon: Gokakyu no Justu!"_ The stream of flame wasn't anywhere near perfect, but at the point-blank range Llednar was at, there was no way the Clone could dodge. RiD almost felt sorry for the fake.

It was a slightly disturbing sight as Naruto struggled against himself. Naruto and his clone knew exactly how good the two of them were, so they made a point of going at full strength, dodging each other using portals of darkness, countering each other's taijustu, and neither real or fake giving in. Finally, the doppelganger landed a hard blow to Naruto's face, knocking the real deal on his back.

"You gotta do better than that!" His clone bragged.

"I did. Oh, and by the way..." Naruto grinned. "Bang." The clone had only a moment to consider what the last word meant before the kunai with an exploding tag on it activated, blasting the faker into dust. Naruto got up, dusting himself off as Hinata and Llednar walked up to him.

"I believe we've got the basics of our new justus down, and your taijustu has improved as well. Now, all we need is that mission we were promised," Llednar remarked. He turned to the tree that RiD was sitting in. "Isn't that right, RiD?" The Jounin sighed as he dropped from the tree. Before RiD could remark about their skill, Naruto burst out.

"YOU'RE LATE!!" RiD sighed.

"Yes, I am... But, I have a mission all set up." Naruto's glare suddenly stopped and was replaced with a smile from ear to ear. 'Heh, even though he seems mature at times, underneath it all, he's still just a kid. That won't change anytime soon... Just like my old partner...'

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Now, here's what we're gonna do..."

* * *

Naruto growled as the Fire Mistress's cat clawed him for the fifth time that week. He gingerly handed it, practically kicking and screaming, to its mistress, who he was certain crushed the feline in the ensuing hug.

"Good ridance," Axel growled withing Naruto's head. Unfortunately, the cat twitched after the hug, showing that it was still alive. "Darn it!"

"Okay, guys, today, we have enough time for one more mission. Who's up to it?" Hinata and, surprisingly, Llednar, sighed in an almost comical fashion. Naruto, on the other hand, simply burst out the statement RiD had been waiting for desprately.

"Oh, come on, RiD-Sensei! When are we gonna have real missions? All we're doing is grunt work, dattebayo!" RiD smiled at his student.

"Please, Naruto. You know I'd rather you not use any title. We're all friends here."

"Well, as a friend, would you mind hooking us up with a good mission?" RiD loked at the team. Nw that Naruto brought it up, the other, more polite, genin instantly were there to back him up. After a short while (and a remarkably effective puppy dog look from Naruto), he sighed dramatically.

"Fine, I'll see what I can do... Meet me at our training area in an hour with the answer."

* * *

"So, they pressured you into it?" The Hokage said, hiding no smal degree of amusement.

"Yes." RiD replied.

"... I see. So, how is he?"

"Who?"

"Naruto. He's been on your team for two weeks. I'd like to know how the team, Naruto in particular, is doing."

"Well enough, Sarutobi. They work very well together, and Naruto seems to getting stronger and happier with the two of them by his side. Although she hasn't told him yet, Hinata doesn't seem to care about the Kyuubi."

"And Llednar?"

"He doesn't know, but I'm certain we both know how the Twem clan is..."

"And his... special powers?"

"He doesn't use the sort of powers very often, especially due to how easy the misions are. That's also why I'd like at least a C-ranker. If I can get him to show his powers directly to me, then I can have sufficent reason to approach him concerning helping him training in them."

"... I see."

"Have no fear. I will bring all three of them back as safe as can be."

"I have no doubt of that... Here," The Third Hokage said, handing RiD a mission description. "An escort mission to the Land of Waves. The details about who you need to escort are in there. I'll have a message for him to meet you at the southeast gate to the village tomorrow morning." RiD nodded and disappeared before the Hokage turned to face him. The Hokage sighed. "I don't think I'll ever figure out how he does that..."

* * *

"ALRIGHT! FINALLY, OUR FIRST REAL MISSION!"

"Settle down, Naruto."

"Oh, let the kid have his fun, Vexen! WOO HOO! YOU'VE GOT A GOOD MISSION! OH YEAH!UH HUH! AN AWESOME ESCORT MISSION TO THE LAND OF WAVES, GOT IT MEM-" Suddenly Axel froze like a statue. Roxas waved a hand infront of him, snapping him out of the trance.

"Axel, you alright?"

"... Waves. Waves mean water. Water means..." Axel started twitching. "NOOOO! I DON'T WANNA GET WET!"

Xemnas sighed as the other members tried to calm Axel down. "Why did I get people like him to join Organization XIII?"

* * *

RiD walked up to the memorial of ninja who lost thier lives fulfilling thier mission. As he looked deep into it, reading two separate names, he sighed.

"Ichidou Nochi... and Tebiki Anchuu... Never again." He adjusted the sheath of his saber hanging from his side. "Never again."

* * *

The next day, RiD stood with his client, a bridge-builder named Tazuna. He was chatting plesantly with the Wave country resident when his team arrived. When Tazuna saw them, it was safe to assume that he wasn't impressed.

"You're sending a bunch of kids to protect me? Is your Hokage off his rocker?" He asked while they were still out of earshot.

"Well, kids though they may be, they are ninja, ninja that are qualified for C-Rankers."

"... Fine, but don't blame me if they're killed."

"I won't."

"So, this is the guy we're gonna protect?" Naruto queried.

"Yep. Tazuna here needs to head home to complete a project he's working on. He's scared of bandits coming after him, so we're here to ease his fears."

"OK!" Naruto grinned.

"Water's not that bad... Water's not that bad... Water's not that bad..." Axel chanted while in a fetal position.

Demyx grinned. "That's the spirit, Axel! We're off to the Land of Waves! Woo hoo!"

"Water'snotthatbadwater'snotthatbadwater'snotthatbad..."

* * *

A few days later, the group found itself nearing the border of the Fire Country and Wave Country.

"Watanobadwatanobadwatanobad..." Axel was currently having a nervous breakdown that got worse as they neared the border, his chanting becoming harder and harder to understand.

Meanwhile, Naruto was on the lokout for any bandits. So hard on the lookout, in fact, that he didn't notice stepping in a puddle until it was too late. the shock of cold water caused him to jump two feet high.

"Ack! Wet!" he said in surprise.

"Huh... that's strange. It hasn't rained recently..." Llednar said in an offhand way. RiD looked at the water, and sudenly his eyes widened.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" He called as a spkiked chain burst from the seemingly centimeter deep water, wrapping itself around the Jounin. Team 9 could only stare as thier Sensei was torn asunder.

"Heh, now that he's out of the way... Time to die, kiddies!" A voice said, almost manically, as a ninja burst from the puddle, firing chains at the group. Llednar pulled out his sword, and Naruto summoned his claws, both cuting through the chains before anyone got hurt. The assassin was abuot to do something else when Hinata rushed forward, landing a Gentle Fist strike at her opponent's chest. Two more hits later, the ninja was down for the count. Naruto reached out with his senses, only to notice a heart filled with darkness in the tres behind him. A split second later, he took a kunai to his side. He collapsed from a burning pain he felt spreading through his body, a pain other than pain from the kunai itself...

'This is it... When he attacks again, I'm done for...' But the attack never came. RiD grimaced, holding a saber against the attacker's neck.

"Naruto, you alright?" Naruto tried to stand, but the pain had spread quickly to his legs. Hinata came to him, using her Byakugan to see the what was wrong. Her eyes widened.

"A poison... it's not fatal, but enough to immobilize someone for a good while..." RiD breathed a sigh of relief.

"At least he'll be okay... Whoever you are, you're not simple bandits," he growled at the ninja in his grasp. "Who are you working for?" he interogated, shaking the ninja, making cerain not to kill the man in his grasp.

"G-Gato... Z-Zabuza... Please, don't kill me!" The ninja was in a panic.

"Heh... what a coward... It was almost TOO easy to figure out the name of your boss. Tazuna... I take it there's more to this than meets the eye?"

"... Yes."

"Care to explain?"

"... Yes."

"Good. Llednar, Hinata, let's set up camp here and wait for Naruto's poison to run its course. Naruto, don't try to move. The best thing for you to do is to rest. Now, sleep." Naruto tried to argue, but he suddenly felt too tired to do so... And he fell into the abyss that was sleep.

* * *

"...So, that's how it is. This Gato guy has a monopoly on your village's export and import trade, effectivly putting the village under his control. And you're making a bridge to fix that?" RiD asked.

"Yes."

"A-and he's sending ninja after you to try and s-stop you, right?" Hinata continued.

"Yes."

"And your village doesn't have the money for the A, maybe S Rank mission this situation calls for?" Llednar finished.

"...Yes. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. We'll just expect a the money when your village is back on it's feet." RiD said. Suddenly, his stomach rumbled. "And a nice little meal when we get to the village, of course." He said, absolutely embarassed at the sound. "I'm pretty sure Naruto will wake up tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I'll take first watch."

* * *

Gato slammed is fist on the arm of his chair.

"I expected you to have the bridge-builder dead by now, Zabuza! Instead, I find that a group of brats and a bandage-head took out your Onikyodai. You betterfinish them before they finish that bridge! Got it?" Suddenly, a giant sword came an inch from impaling the business tycoon.

"I've got it. Don't worry, I'll stop them, garanteed." Momochi Zabuza growled. "Don't forget your end of the bargain..."

"I daresay I won't."

_

* * *

_

_"Don't push yourself too hard, Naruto!"_

_"What're you worried about, Hinata? Some psyco ninja attacking us out of nowhere?"_

_"Well, you never know..."_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Dance, Water, Dance! Clone vs Clone!**_

_"I'll see ya then!"_

* * *

"I just couldn't resist the title of the next chapter."

Demyx: "What could the chapter mean?"

Axel: "watn'bdwatn'bdwatn'bd..."

Xemnas: "Do you listen to yourself?"

Demyx: "No. Why?"

Xemnas: "... Idiot."

"I'll see ya next time!"


	8. Dance, Water, Dance!

XIII Ninja

By James The Fox

" Ladies and gentlemen I am proud to say that, right now, in my hand, I have-" (looks at now-empty hand) "-what the?"

Little sister, Holly: (holding the seventh Potter Book) "MINE! You can read it once I'm done."

"You could of asked before taking it from my hand like that!"

Holly: "**You** could of asked before taking it from my room."

"Why you..." (Jumps at sister, who sidesteps.)

Holly: _"Imperio."_

(Author turns to audience.) "I'm a fool. I should never have defied my great, all powerful sister. As penance, I shall now bestow upon you a new chapter. Thank you."

* * *

The next day, Team 9 set out once more. Naruto, despite having been incapable of moving yesterday, was atg the head of the group, talking enthusiastically with his teammates. 

'That kid... his recovery powers are amazing. I guess the Kyuubi can be useful after all...' RiD grinned. He was shaken out of his thoughts when he noticed a mist rolling in. His eyes narrowed, knowing that this wasn't a natural mist he was seeing... "Everyone, guard postions. Protect the bridge builder!" Everyone quickly surounded Tazuna. Naruto stayed in front of him, Hinata took out a kunai and stood with her back facing Tazuna's right, while Llednar put his hand on his sword (although he didn't draw it) and took Tazuna's left side. RiD drew his sword, putting himself in a combat stance.

"That stance... it looks... so..." Roxas trailed off. "It's not possible."

Meanwhile, Hinata activated her Byakugan. After a few seconds, her eyes widened. "Llednar-san!" She called out just as a large sword came at the Twem Clan heir. Llednar grinned, blocking the blade with his own. He locked gazes with the man wielding the oversized weapon.

"I'll bet that you were hired by Gato," he drawled.

"Very perceptive of you, brat," the ninja said.

"May I ask your name?"

"Since you were so polite... Momochi Zabuza. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." Llednar said in a dainty tone. "I just need something to write on your gravestone."

"Tough talk for such a little Genin. Can you back it up?"

"Certainly." Llednar suddenly forced Zabuza back, spinning his sword, which suddenly started expeling a sickly green mist. "_Shinen!_ (Abyss)" He rushed at Zabuza, barely missing as the Swordsman sidestepped. However, as he thrust his sword, a portion of the green mist traveled from the blade to Zabuza's side and was absorbed by the skin. Not noticing this, Zabuza swung his large blade at Twem, who backflipped back to safety. "Now all we need to do is wait..." he muttered. RiD grinned.

"You did a good job. I'll handle things from here." He rushed at the Swordsman of the Mist, clashing with him. RiD ducked under a horzontal swing and jumped into the air, sword pointing down as he desended. Zabuza dodged backwards, landing in a nearby lake. The silver haired Jounin sprinted on the water as Zabuza formed a flurry of seals.

_"Suiro no Justu!"_ he roared just as Rid was 4 meters from hitting the Mist nin. As sooon as the justu was finished, water came up and trapped RiD within, forming itself in a sphere. RiD's eyes widened as Zabuza started forming seals with one hand. "_Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!_ I'll deal with you later," He growled to his captive as several more Zabuzas formed themselves from the water in the lake. The clones walked out of the lake, towards Team 9.

"Ok, that isn't good. What should we do?" Naruto asked Organization XIII and his teammates.

"If we can hold them off for long enough, my Abyss technique's poison will take him down," Llednar said.

"Yeah, but they outnumber us. Naruto-kun could summon some Shadow Clones, but Zabuza's Clones are likely going to be too much for them to handle..." Hinata sighed.

"Watnbdwanbdwatnbd..." Axel chanted.

"... Water not bad..." Xemnas contemplated. "...Axel, you're a genius."

"Wat- Wait, what?" Axel said, shocked by what Xemnas said. "I mean, of course I'm a genius. G-E-N-I-U-S, got it memorized?"

"It's simple. We'll fight fire with fire, or rather, water with water."

"Wait... Naruto doesn't have any water justu, so how will we..." Everyone looked at Demyx. "No. No way. You're totally sending the wrong guy. Send Axel, send Roxas, send Larxene, send anyone, just don't send me!"

"Too late for that, Demyx," Naruto replied mentally. With a resigned sigh, Demyx was enclosed in a ball of Chakra, which shot a beam straight up. Naruto's hair suddenly became neater, although it was still spiked int the front. His blue eye became green, and he grinned as he looked at his opponent. "OK, guys. I'll distract them until the poison sinks in. You just keep Tazuna safe."

"Sorry for doubting you, but how?" Llednar asked.

"Watch, and believe..." Naruto said, raising his hand into the air. Water came out of the ground, absorbing into a ball on Naruto's palm. In a flash, the ball was replaced with Demyx's sitar. The ninja spun it around and held it as if he was going to play it, pointing at the Zabuza clones before he, indeed, did begin to play.

"Let's see how you do against my clones... Dance, Water, Dance!" Out of nowhere, various translucent colnes of Naruto appeared, all obviously made of water. They floated through the air, turning into music notes periodically and swinging themselves at Zabuza's Water Clones, effectively destroying them. The real Zabuza stared at the clones while RiD grinned. Leave it to the kid to pull this kind of thing off...

The last clone fell, and Naruto rushed with his clones towards the real Zabuza. Naruto played a riff, and pillar of water came up from below the water-nin. Zabuza, weakened slightly by the poison, was knocked away and, with another riff and pillar of water, into a tree. RiD landed on the water's surface, struggling to his feet.

"Alright, I'll handle things from here," RiD grinned at he rushed at Zabuza. However, just before he could get to him, several senbon needles hit the Swordsman, killing him. "What the-"

"Forgive me," a voice said from a nearby tree. "I felt that, since it is my job to hunt this man down, it was suiting that I finish him." RiD turned to face a boy of 12 wearing the mask of a Water Hunter-nin. "I thank you for your assistance. Now," He said, picking up Zabuza's corpse. "I must be going."

"Hey, wait a- hmm... that's strange..." RiD mused to himself.

"What's strange?" Naruto asked from the shore, having returned to normal.

"Nothing. It's... nothing." 'I thought hunter-nins destroy thier missing-nin's corpse right where they fnd them...' RiD sighed. This was turning out to be a really stressful mission...

* * *

"Alright... here we are. The Land of Waves" 

"Wow... so, this is what it's like to be in another country. Kinda like being in a whole new world, huh?" Naruto asked.

"I guess you could say it like that... Listen guys, I've got something to tell you..."

* * *

"So, Haku... what information did you get from that battle?" 

"The Jounin has some skill with the sword, but isn't anything you can't handle. The girl's eyes could be a problem... as is the boy in red. His sword had some kind of poison in it, but I know of some herbs that can, when made into a potion, clear that up. Meanwhile, I can handle the girl."

"And the blond in the brown clothes?"

"... I can handle him as well. He creates water, and I can control it."

"Good... As soon as I am able, we'll strike."

* * *

"WHAAAT? WHAT DO YA MEAN ZABUZA'S STILL ALIVE?" They were at Tazuna's house. Rid had just spilled the news to his team. 

"It makes sense. I could still fell his heart and soul, Naruto," Xemnas said.

"Please, not so loud..." RiD complained, rubbing his ears. "Anyway, that's why, starting tomorrow, in addition to our guard duties, we will train. How many of you can climb trees without your hands?" Hinata and Llednar raised their hands. Naruto sighed. 'Of course... He didn't have a clan to teach him things like that...' "... I see... Alright. Hinata and Llednar will practice together and become stronger in thier skills. Naruto, I'll personally teach you how to climb trees." He said, forming his hand into a victory sign, his teeth flashing so bright that they'd give his old friend Gai's choppers a run for their money. "Everyone got that?"

"It doesn't matter." Everyone turned in shock to face a boy sitting on the stairs. he wore green overalls and a yellow shirt. his brown hair was covered by a white fishing hat. "In the end, you're still just gonna die!" The boy stood and walked up the stairs, leaving a silent room. After a while, Naruto broke the silence.

"Well, isn't he just Mr. Sunshine?"

* * *

_"Man, this is harder than it looks!"_

_"Keep at it, Naruto! You'll get it eventually!_

_**Next Time on XIII Ninja: Forest of Chakra: Practice makes Perfect!**_

* * *

(Free from imperio)"I'm dissapointed in this chapter, mostly because the acton wasn't really as... well, action-y as I wanted it to be. Llednar doesn't have many powers so far, Hinata was just sitting there, guarding Tazuna, Demyx-Naruto wasn't really as cool as I hoped for, and most of RiD's big skills can't be shown unless I want to completely give his identity away to anyone who doesn't already know it early. Ah well, next battle will reveal RiD's identity to all characters, so i won't have to hold back with him then. Now, I'm just gonna go to Holly's room and-" 

Holly: _"Imperio."_

"Deliver her some snacks while she reads her book. After that I will perform like a circus animal for everyone else."

Shadow: "Awesome."

Naruto: "Totally, dattebayo!"

"In the meantime, I'll see you later-eh?"

Future James: "... You have seen NOTHING! I did NOT just alter a canon error! I repeat: you have seen NOTHING!" (vanishes)

"... Odd."


	9. Forest of Chakra

XIII Ninja

By James The Fox

"I-I... c-can't believe this..."

Shadow: "What the heck's with you?"

"... I've read HP7. It's over. It's all over... WHY?!"

Voldemort: "Ohh, do I win?"

"... L-like I'm gonna t-tell you when everyone's out there. However, my hate for you has only grown, you freaking..."

Shadow: "... Dang. I don't think I've ever seen James like this... I... I guess I'm gonna have to announce the next chapter for him. Chapter, GO!"

* * *

_"__------__? What's happeni-"_

_"No time! The __------__ are coming! Take __------__ and go!"_

_"What?!"_

_"I'm not leaving you!"_

_"There's no time, __------__! You have to go! Get away from here!"_

_"But what about you?"_

_"My fate is sealed, along with this place... Just like __------__ was."_

* * *

"NO!" Naruto woke up, shocking his teamates, even Llednar, from their slumber. He looked at his hands which were twitching and, like the rest of his body, covered with sweat. He looked to the ceiling, trembling like a leaf.

"Naruto-kun? Are you... are you okay?" Hinata asked from her futon.

"..."

"What was your dream about?" RiD asked, bandages still on his face, even though he had been sleeping.

"... Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"'Nothing' doesn't make a ninja wake up in shock and fear." RiD said. "Nor does it make them mumble in their sleep."

"I SAID IT'S NOTHING!" Naruto growled, almost bestial. A small flare of red pulsed in his eyes, though noone but RiD noticed. Seeing their shocked faces, Naruto recoiled, looking away. "Look... I don't know what it is... I've been getting them randomly since..."

"Since I woke up in here," Roxas muttered.

"...Since around the time I met Hinata. A few days before, actually."

"What happens in them?" Hinata asked, worried. Had she somehow contributed to her friend's sorrow?

"I usually see a scene of some sort... it differs from dream to dream... the faces are blurred out, and when somebody's about to mention a name... everything becomes fuzzy, like a TV screen that isn't working..."

"I see... Well, let's get some rest for training tomorrow. However, Naruto... If you have one of these dreams again, let me know." It wasn't a request, and Naruto nodded bfore faling back into the abyss that was sleep...

* * *

RiD guided the group to a forest just outside town. He smiled, turning to his team.

"Now, Hnata, Llednar, go practice while I get Naruto here caught up." The two obliged, choosing to spar, although they always seemed to hold some attention on Naruto. After RiD (and, secretly, Vexen) explained how chakra worked, Naruto made his first attempt.

'One, two, three, four...' "AGHH!" Naruto fell back to the ground, only barely landing on his feet. "Damn!"

"What, did you expect it to be easy?" RiD taunted. "Come on, kid. Remember what you said before, about how you intend to be the leader of Konoha? Well, it ain't gonna happen unless you master your chakra control. Not in a million years!" Naruto growled and tried again. This time, he got 5 steps up before he fell again, spinning in midair to land on his feet.

"Not bad, for a little Genin! However, you're gonna have to do much better!"

"GAH!"

"I know you've got it in you!"

"OOF!"

* * *

Two hours later...

"Oh, you almost got to the first branch! So close!"

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT IT ALREADY!?" Naruto huffed.

"Well, I can see I'm not wanted... Hinata, Llednar. The bridge builder is about to start work on the bridge for today. Let's over to him start guard duty. Naruto, keep working on this, but don't overdo it." Hinata Llednar nodded, leaving Naruto to train alone...

* * *

"Do you really think it would be ok to just leave Naruto-kun to train alone? What if he gets hurt?" Hinata asked.

"... There's nothing more I can do to help him with this... Otherwise, I'd say screw Tazuna and we'd still be there giving him advice and encouragement. He's knows how to do it, but he stil can't actually DO it, and only he can teach himself that."

"I just hope the little guy doesn't break his little head from falling from a great height... Strange as he is, there's never a dull moment with him," Llednar mused. Hinata nodded, a small smile on her face.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent guarding Tazuna and his men at the incomplete bridge. However, since there was nothing to guard them from...

"RiD, I'm not complaining... but why do we have to help carry cement mix for the bridge?" Llednar asked, his face and voice neutral as it almost always is. He held the cement bag (which, standing straight, was half his height and twice his weight) over his head, using chakra to add to his strength.

"It builds upper body stength and, the way you're doing it, chakra reserves!" RiD said, flexing his left bicep while holding a large bag under his other arm. Plus, this mission only lasts as long as it takes for the bridge takes to be built. If we can help, the mission will be a lot shorter. That's the spirit, Hinata, but you might be overdoing-" He called as said Hyuuga heiress was walking at a quick pace, carrying a bag under both arms. She managed to make it to the pile near the cement mixer, rushing back to grab another two bags. "-it. Well, she's got drive, I can say that much." RiD laughed.

'I will become stronger,' Hinata thought to herself. 'That way...'

* * *

"_Oh, no you don't!" _

"

* * *

_A six-year-old Hinata Hyuuga stood outside the room where her savior was being treated for injuries. Her father was through the door, speaking with the Hokage and a doctor about her condition._

_"Your daughter should be fine, just a few scratches. I guess the ninja's boss didn't want her hurt."_

_"And the boy?" Hiashi asked_

_"Hmm? What about him?" The doctor didn't seem particularly concerned._

_"The one that rescued my daughter."_

_"Hatake-san wasn't involved in the struggle." The doctor said, the tone in her voice suggesting that the Hyuuga Elder wasn't thinking straight._

_"I mean the boy who is sleeping inches from us right now." Hiashi growled. _

* * *

'That way... that will never happen again.'

* * *

Later that night, as Tazuna and his guards walked into his house for dinner, Hinata looked tiredly about, wondering where the third Genin of Team 9 was. Aparently, she wasn't the only one.

"Hey, where's the other kid? Uzumaki-san?" Tsunami, the woman of the house and 'mother' of the boy they had seen when they first arrived, asked.

"Hmmm... He should have been here... That idiot... I _told_ him not to overdo it..." RiD murmured. "I'm going looking for him." RiD said, leaving through the door.

* * *

RiD jumped from branch to branch, searching for his student. Naruto may have been a Ninja, but he was only a Genin, a low rank ninja. Plus, the boy probably used up most of his chakra, which would explain why he couldn't sense the blond anywhere near him. Another reason was that he hadn't really used THIS specific technique in years, so he was rusty and couldn't discern a low-on-chakra idiot from an average forest animal. 'Damnit, Naruto Uzumaki!' He thought, not noticing the boy laying beneath him as he went deeper in the forest...

* * *

_"W-who... who a-are you?"_

_"Me? I'm __------__. You are?"_

_"...__------__. I'm __-------__."_

_"What happened here?"_

_"A big m-monster c-came... A fox... Nine t-tails... and M-Mom and D-Dad, they..."_

_"The __------__ was here? We better get out of this place, just in case it comes back, __------__."_

_"What about her?"_

_"She has nothing left here. We'll take her back to __------__."_

* * *

A herb gatherer walked through the forest, going about business as usual when he was seen. The brown-clad boy with blond hair was laying, asleep, on the ground. The herb gatherer kneeled to get a closer look at him, feeling his pulse, then considered killing the child.

"T-Thank you..." The blond murmured in his sleep, almost helpless. The herbalist reconsidered, instead shaking him gently.

"Hey, wake up. You'll catch a cold here."

Naruto woke up to a voice calling him, seeing a young woman with brown eyes and black hair. She was wearing pink, and a basket of plants was next to her. Naruto smiled.

"Heh, I'll be fine..." He then eyed the woman before him. She seemed to be about the same age as himself... "I'm Naruto. You are?"

"Haku." The flower girl replied. Within Naruto, Vexen sighed in a VERY un-Vexenlike way.

"I believe I'm in love." Axel smiled as he backed away from the Chilly Academic.

"Yeah... I'm happy for the two of ya." He turned to face Roxas. "Man... He's scary when he's in love." Naruto ingnored them as he helped Haku gather herbs. Eventually, he continud his conversation with the girl.

"Hmm... you know, it's kind of strange, a girl your age out collecting herbs this early..."

"Just like it's strange to see a boy your age sleeping in the middle of the forest?" Haku asked teasingly. Naruto blushed.

"I've been training, and I guess I overdid it..."

"How come? You seem strong enough..."

"No, not yet. I still need to be stronger, dattebayo!"

"Why?"

"Huh? What do you mean, why?" Naruto asked, tilting his head. Haku closed her eyes, thinking about how to explain this.

"... Do you have someone... Precious... to you? Because... when you protect them, it gives you your true strength." This sparked a pulse of memory in Roxas.

_"I don't need the Keyblade. My friends are my power!"_

Meanwhile, Naruto smiled, remembering. "Yeah, I do have people like that. My... friends." Haku stood up, turning away as she walked back down the path she came. "Thanks, Haku-chan!"

"Beutiful and intelligent. Yes... I'm truely, completely in love." Vexen sighed again.

"You're welcome... by the way, though... I'm a boy." Vexen froze mid-step.

"..." Organization XIII was certain that, should even a strand of hair drop, everyone would hear it. Axel walked up to the stilll-frozen Vexen, plucking a single hair, then dropped it. Yep, everyone heard it.

Meanwhile, the boy had left, and Naruto started to snigger. Then laugh. Then downright giggle like Sasuke's fan club at their best, falling on his back as he did so, clutching his stomach.

However, when RiD found him ten minutes later, it was at the top of the tree the boy had been training with, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"So, I see the night wasn't put to waste, at least..."

* * *

_"Uh oh, sounds like something's going on at the bridge! Darnit, why'd I sleep in? I hope Hinata and Llednar are okay..."_

_"Don't worry, RiD should be able to handle anything that comes their way until we show up!"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Battle on the Bridge! RiD's True Power Revealed!**_

* * *

"WHY!? WHY, WHY, WHY!? Why does the Potter series have to end!?" (Author bangs head against wall with every 'why.')

Shadow: (Pats Author on head, at a loss for words.) "... All things have their end, James."

Voldemort: "Yeah, and that includes your fanfiction. It's gonna have to have an ending sometime."

(Looks at Link with teary eyes) "My fanfiction, too?"

Voldemort: "Yeah, sooner or later, you're gonna complete all your fanfictions. All these stories you're doing... Yeah. Eventually, the story will be over and-"

(Author breaks down crying.)

Shadow: "Oh, now look at what you've done! Can't you see you're only making it worse?" (comforts chao version of Author) "It's gonna be alright... it's gonna be okay... They're announcing a new Kingdome Hearts game soon, and Super Smash Brothers Brawl is coming in time for the holidays." (Author perks up a little at this)

Voldemort: "Yeah, and those series will end sooner or later too." (Author breaks down crying again.)

Shadow: "Grr... That's it! If you don't get out of here right now, I'm gonna cheer James up by doing horrible, evil, unspeakable things to you with a Wii Classic Controller, a pipe, and a locker lock. Now as for you readers, I'm afraid you'll have to leave, too. James will be back to you with a new chapter sooner or later." (Pulls out a Classic Controller) "Now, get out of my sight, Voldemort!"

(Lights black out.)

Voldemort: "What... what are you doing!? Oh my... I've never seen a person use a lock like that! Oh, Merlin, make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!"


	10. Battle on the Bridge

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Voldemort: "..." (is laying on the ground, bloodily mutilated.)

Shadow: "..."

"..."

Harry: "... Is Voldemort dead?"

Link: "Can I poke him with my sword?"

"... No and... eh, sure, why not?"

Sora: "You sure that's a good idea?"

"Nope."

Sora: "And you're still letting him go through with it?"

"Yep."

Sora: "... I don't know why I bother with you."

"Because I control you here."

Sora: "Oh, yeah. You gonna start the story, or are we gonna talk about the laws of Fanfic physics more?"

"Oh, yeah! Chapter, Start!"

* * *

Naruto growled as he sat on the roof of a house a good 3 miles from the place he was staying. That boy, Inari... that boy, although he lost his father, at least he wasn't hated by almost everyone in his village... Yet, he had the nerve to tell the blond that he had it worse than him! Sure, Naruto had Organization XIII from the begining, but even they couldn't replace the prescence of a real, true family. Where a mother could hold him close and shelter him from the hate of the village, Larxene could only give him reassuring words. Where a Father would physically be there for him, defending the boy from those who might hurt him, Xemnas could only be with him in spirit. He was thankful for those spirits existing within him, of course, but both he and they knew that there was always going to be something missing... At least Inari had had a whole family, if only for a short while... 

"You alright, Naruto?" The Jinchuriki turned around, seeing RiD smiling at him.

"..." The silver-haired Jounin sat next to Naruto, looking up at the night sky.

"Does it hurt?"

"What?"

"Your heart. Does it hurt, when you think about all the things you've never had the chance to have?"

"... Yeah." He hated to admit such weakness, but it was true.

"You're not the only one who'll never have something, no matter how much they desire it."

"Huh?"

"... A long time ago, when I was just a kid, I met this girl. She was beautiful, and I knew, even then, 'she was the one for me, the love of my life. However, I soon realized that she was also in love, with my closest friend. In a futile effort to impress her, I tried to make myself better than my friend. Even after it was obvious who was stronger, faster, and better overall than him, I found that she still loved him. It was only after I fought my childhood friend that I realized why it was that she cared for him.

"It wasn't his strength, or his smarts. It was the way that he let his heart guide him, no matter where it sent him, and his willingness to protect those he cared for, even against... against impossible odds.

"It was about four years after that that they married. I was happy for them, and I accepted that I never had a chance of getting her. As such, I watched them live happily for three years." The sound of water hit the ground, and Naruto that his sensei was crying.

"What happened then, RiD-sensei?"

"Then... They were murdered. Killed by the worst kind of criminals. I left after that, unable to stay in such a place, filled with bittersweet memories as it was. I eventually arrived in Konoha, where they so kindly made me into a shinobi, complete with a team. Once again, I met a woman I loved, this time the leader of the squad I joined after passing the Chunin Exams... once again, she was in love with another. Once again, I lost her to horrible people. It was at her funeral that I gave up any illusions of me being with my one true love, burying them with her." RiD looked down on the village.

"... You never had a hope of it, just like I never had a family."

"... Yeah."

"... I'm... going to bed. This whole day has been tiring."

"You do that." Naruto got up and jumped down to ground level. Before he left, though, he looked up to his teacher.

"Hey, RiD-Sensei."

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks, but don't bury that dream just yet. You're not quite dead yet. You may still meet someone." He grinned and walked down the street. As RiD watched him go, he saw the silhoette of another boy pasted over him. as brown hair overlapped the blond, RiD smiled, shking his head clear of unwanted memories.

"... That kid..."

* * *

_Battle on the Bridge! RiD's True Power Revealed!_

* * *

Naruto woke the next day, taking note that his team wasn't still in bed. He looked about, wondering where they were. He looked at the clock and stared in shock. 

"9:39!? But, that means they left without me!" Naruto growled. He got dressed, planning how he was going to force an explanation from RiD when he got to the bridge, but was suddenly stopped by a scream from downstairs. "That's... That's Tsunami!" He rushed down just in time to see Inari get knocked down by one of two thugs. One of them had thier sword out and held it against Tsunami's neck, threatening to slit it. Naruto grinned as the boy took up the crossbow that was nearby, distracting the thugs long enough for Naruto to use a corridor of darkness to get behind the fools without them noticing. He hit one in the back of the head, rendering him unconcious, then with a well aimed blow, freed Tsunami from the other, a final attack knocking her captor out.

"Wow..." Inari said in shock. How did Naruto get past them without anyone seeing? Naruto, however, didn't seem to have time for questions, and had already dissapeared.

* * *

Hinata couldn't help but smirk in a way similar to how her cousin usually did when he was looking down on his opponent. Haku, the Ninja she had been facing, looked as though he could no longer fight. 

"It's time to end this," Hinata said, getting back into a fighting stance. Llednar, stating that he would protect Tazuna, grinned at the development. Meanwhile, RiD and Zabuza paused mid-fight at this new development, Zabato clashing against saber. RiD grinned.

"Don't think so highly of your student now, huh?" He sneered.

"Hmhmhm..." The mist nin laughed.

"What are you laughing about?"

"Can't you see? It isn't over, not by a long shot." He gestured with his head to where Haku had just formed a seal.

_"Makyo Hyo Sho!"_ Instantly, several mirrors surrounded Hinata, forming a dome around the Hyuuga Heir. She instantly went into a defensive stance, ready for whatever Haku, who had just entered one of the mirrors, would send at her. However, there was nothing that could prepare her for the rain of needles that came at her from all sides.

"Agh!" Hinata fell to the ground, sporting several cuts along the face, wrists, and ankles, and hiding several more under her now-slightly torn jacket. She growled, cursing her inability to learn her clan's 8 Trigrams Heavenly Spin. She looked about, hoping to see an opening, but to no avail.

"It's useless." Haku sighed in a scolding way. "Even if you can se all about you and see the attack coming, you cannot move fast enough to dodge. You are helpless."

Unable to block, she could do nothing but try to protect her vital organs from the next swarm of needles. She hit the ground again, getting up and seeing that her jacket was ripped badly. Eye's narrowing, she unzipped it, tossing the now-useless piec of clothing away. Undrneath her jacket was a black shirt with a fishnet shirt under it. Her arms were covered with cuts caused by her opponent's needles. She sighed.

"And that was my favorite jacket..." she mourned, trying for a litle comedy.

"If you give up now, I won't kill you." Haku said.

"... Sorry, but I'm not going to let you win." Hinata said, settling back into Gentle Fist Style. "My father doesn't tolerate such cowardly weakness." She mumured.

"... So be it." The ninja was about to strike, but suddenly, a pulse of darkness appeared beside Hinata, and Naruto appeared, a dissaproving look on his face.

"Who said you could start this party without me?"

* * *

Meanwhile, RiD lunged at Zabuza, saber landing a glancing blow on his right side. Zabuza countered with his Zabato, neatly cutting RiD in half, only to find that it wasn't RiD. Instead, there was a chunk of hardened cement where the Ninja had been. 

"Behind you!" RiD roared, slicing at Zabuza's back, only to be countered at the last second. RiD jumped back. From the sounds of battle ahead of him, Hinata and Naruto were in trouble. Llednar was also having trouble facing several water clones and protecting Tazuna at the same time...

"Hmhmhm... I'm afraid your little Genin team is in trouble, and you can't do anything about it, RiD!"

RiD considered his options. His ninja skills weren't at the level that he could beat Zabuza and save all of his team. He couldn't hope to save everyone as he was now... but then again...

"... You're right, Zabuza... I, RiD, can't hope to win this battle and save my team... However... If I were someone else..."

* * *

A good distance away, Naruto heard that, and Roxas' eyes widened at the familiar phrase. 

"No... It... It couldn't be... It just couldn't..."

* * *

RiD grabbed at his bandages, pulling them away. The Sun-bathed tan skin revealed itself, and several genjustu dissapeared, leaving RiD's hair to two inches past his shoulders. The green eyes darkened slightly. RiD grinned, shifting his saber from his right hand to his left. 

"I've spent six years running, hiding from who I truely am. I dared not use my full power, for fear of my enemies... But no more. You dared to threaten the people I care about, the children under my charge. You've left me no choice. No more running. I am RiD no more. From now on, you may know me and fear me by my true name..." The familiar pulse of dark energy occured, revealing the old weapon, Way to the Dawn. He settled into a daul-weapon version of his old fighting stance, Saber in a vertical orientation while his Keyblade was behind it, pointing towards Zabuza.

"Riku."

* * *

_"This is it. No more running away. Now, it's time you see what a grave mistake you've made in angering me. Your time has come, Zabuza!"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Rebirth in Darkness: Riku Returns!**_

* * *

"Yes! It's time for the serious kill-people frenzy. Booyah!" 

Naruto: "You've been waiting for this since you started, haven't you?"

"Yep."

Link: (Is poking Voldemort with his sword.) "125 pokes, 126 pokes, 127 pokes, 128 pokes."

Neji: "There. You've just poked each of Voldemort's Chakra Points."

Link: "Cool..."

Neji: "..."

Link: "..."

Sora: "..."

Shadow: "..."

Link: "... Let's do it again. 1 poke, 2 pokes, 3 pokes..."

"... OK... Next chapter is more fighting on the bridge, specifically Riku's side of the battle. I plan to put Hinata and Naruto's battle in the chapter after that. I also fixed a silly error in Chapter 1 that I noticed. I forgo a part of a flash back that I had wanted. It's insignificant, but I wanted to fix it... In unrelated news, I'm listening to the Ruroni Kenshin opening theme, Sobakasu. It's catchy."

Shadow: "Didn't want to know."

"See ya next chapter."


	11. Rebirth in Darkness

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

"Time to rock n' roll!"

Sora: "Are you sure you have to kill Haku? I mean, Zabuza I can understand, but Haku isn't evil, and I've had enough of good people suffering in my life. Ain't it enough that in almost all your stories you've either killed me off or screwed my mind up? Do you have to ruin other people's lives too?"

"... Maybe... Either way, it's likely that they won't be appearing after this arc... Unless the people who own Naruto have a Shippuden arc that involves them in any way, shape or form... I shall leave this matter up to the readers. Whether they die or live doesn't really matter to me... But they have till the chapter after this to make thier judgement. Oher wise, you'll be leaving their fates to the chances of whether I have mercy when I write the next chapter."

Sora: (raising a protest sign alongside Harry, Sonic, Link, and various other characters) "Save Haku! Save Haku! Save Haku!"

"... Yeah... On to the Fic!"

* * *

_RiD grabbed at his bandages, pulling them away. The Sun-bathed tan skin revealed itself, and several genjustu dissapeared, leaving RiD's hair to two inches past his shoulders. The green eyes darkened slightly. RiD grinned, shifting his saber from his right hand to his left. _

_"I've spent six years running, hiding from who I truely am. I dared not use my full power, for fear of my enemies... But no more. You dared to threaten the people I care about, the children under my charge. You've left me no choice. No more running. I am RiD no more. From now on, you may know me and fear me by my true name..." The familiar pulse of dark energy occured, revealing the old weapon, Way to the Dawn. He settled into a daul-weapon version of his old fighting stance, Saber in a vertical orientation while his Keyblade was behind it, pointing towards Zabuza._

* * *

* * *

"What, you think that just because you changed appearance and gave yourself a new name, you'd be stronger?" Zabuza laughed. Riku looked into the man's eyes, a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, rediculous, eh?" A wild look had creapt into the Keybearer's eyes. "Of course, it's more than just that. Mistake number one was betraying your village. Mistake number two was coming after my client under Gato's orders. Mistake Number Three... That was underestimating me. I could have easily escaped from your prison last time, if I had only had the motivation. It's time... that I show you what I can really do." In a flash of darkness, Riku appeared behind Zabuza, swinging his blade at the Mist-nin, who quickly turned to block the saber that came down at him. "Mistake number four," He muttered as his Keyblade moved past the other two blades, aiming for Zabuza's stomach. Zabuza jumped back, out of Riku's range.

"Mistake Number Five."

Zabuza's eyes widened as, in another flash of darkness, Riku had appeared behind Zabuza, Keyblade and Saber moving in a Scissor motion to amputate the Mist-nin's sword arm. Zabuza quickly performed a Replacement Justu, replacing himself with a bag of Cement Mix. However, Just as quickly, Riku had appeared in front of him.

"Mistake Number Six. Aren't you getting tired of screwing up?"

Zabuza swung hard, just barely missing Riku, who disappeared in a pilar of dark energy, reappearing a good distance from him. Riku threw Way to the Dawn at Zabuza, who grinned as he caught it.

"Now who's making mistakes?" He taunted as he clashed with Riku, Saber versus Keyblade. Just as Zabuza was about to make the finishing blow, Riku grinned. What was with that DAMN grin!?

"Mistake Number Seven." The Way to The Dawn warped from Zabuza's left hand to Riku's right hand, and The Keybearer swung hard with both weapons at a completely open Zabuza. His Saber missed, but the Keyblade knocked Zabuza a god distance away. It didn't leave a deep cut, but Zabuza felt a strange, nonphysical pain in his... his... spirit? They clashed repeatedly, both sides making minor headway, then losing it, though the way Riku's grin continued to grow, it was obvious that the Keybearer was toying with him.

'I have to stop this... Time to use...' _"Kirigakure no Justu!" _Zabuza smiled as he dissapeared. "Try and beat what you can't see, Riku!" For a split second, Zabuza thought he saw a glint of yellow, but the sensation left him almost imeddiatly.

"Gladly. Oh, by the by, Mistake Number Eight." Riku said from directly behind Zabuza. "Thirteen mistakes is all I'll allow from you, Zabuza, Demon of the Hidden Mist!" The swordsman knocked Zabuza to the ground with another swipe of the Keyblade.

"But-But _how_?! How _could_ you- _**What ARE you!?"**_

"You profess yourself a demon, yet do not know your kin? I am also a demon, a poor soul who was drowned in Darkness! That has given me powers few others can brag about. I can _smell_ the darkness in your heart. And I promise you..." Riku said, his falsely kind voice getting closer to Zabuza. Zabuza stumbled around frantically as he sensed a presense darker than anything he ever knew before. Over and over, the cycle continued, Zabuza thinking he sensed Riku behind him, tripping around to face nothing, and doubting his own instincts more than usual, even as Riku continued talking, his voice changing slightly, almost like a second voice was superimposed over Riku's own voice... _"If you don't fight and __**survive**__, you will not have the __**luxury**__ of simply going to hell. Oh, no. __**I**__ will personally __**drag**__ you into the deepest depths of darkness from which there is no escape, and there you will face horrors __**worse than death**__..." _As Zabuza felt his sweat dripping from him, paralyzed with fear, he felt Riku behind him, moving his Keyblade in a position to slit Zabuza's throat.

_"Tell me, Zabuza... __**Are you scared of death**__?"_

Zabuza could not respond.

_"Answer me, or I'll fufill my promise right here and now!"_

Against his will, Zabuza screamed. "YES! YES, I AM SCARED, YOU ASSHOLE!" Riku smiled behind Zabuza as he removed his weapon, kicking the man to the ground. Zabuza got clumsily to his feet, taking a few steps away from the Silver-haired warrior who he could now see had glowing yellow, catlike eyes.

_"Good, because you have so many reasons to be afraid that I-" _Riku was cut off, the eyes that had inexplicably turned yellow returning to the blue-green his old friends had love as a roar came from the place where Naruto, Hinata, and Haku had been fighting.

* * *

**"YOU! YOU **_**KILLED**_** HER... I'LL DESTROY YOU!"** And the two ninja, as well as Llednar and Tazuna, could only stare thruogh the mist that seemed to be absorbed into a single, crimson-glowing core of dark energy...

* * *

_**"HINATA... WHY? WHY DID YOU... ARGHHH! NOW, YOU FOOLISH BOY, I SHALL BE YOUR ESCORT INTO THE DEEPEST DARKNESS OF OBLIVION!"**_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Hinata's Debt! Never Again!**_

* * *

"Well, that was a better battle than the last one, although it was a litle onesided..."

Llednar: "... He's evil."

"The remnant of Xehanort still taints Riku, even after all this time and despite how much he fought it, so he turned to more profitable ventures. Over the time since KH2, Riku has become a full master of all the Darkness in his Heart, both his and Xehanort's. So, yeah, he's much stronger now. Course, that did little good against the Chasers..."

Llednar: "The description and title of the next chapter worry me."

"Yep. Next chapter will have Naruto and Hinata's fight against Haku, as well as Gato's appearance. (Pauses Dramatically) "It is then that I will bathe in his blood and... Oh, wait, we're still on? Uh, nevermind. See ya next chapter."


	12. Hinata's Debt

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

"The votes have been tallied, and... Oh, come on! Only three people? And they ALL voted for about the same thing. That makes this too easy... Oh, by the way, to all the people I told that there wouldn't be a Org. XIII member fighting Haku... Well, I can change my mind! Goodness knows Rowling's done it before!"

Sora: "NOOOOOO! Haku's gonna die! I can see it in your eyes! He's out for blood!"

"Oh, shut it. Don't make me blast you. You aren't in XIII Ninja, and I can keep you dead until the next chapter of HPGW or LS."

Shadow: "That's harsh. If you weren't a boy, I'd say you were PMSing."

Amy: "What was that?"

Shadow: "Oh no. She found me. I... gotta go."

"Huh?"

Shadow: "It was an accident, Amy! I swear! The author of that story made me do it!"

"You better not be blaming me for something. I'm not nice, but I know I've never made you do anything that got Amy ticked at you."

Amy: "You KISSED Sonic!"

"And I know I've never made you do that."

Shadow: "SAVE ME!" (Runs out of room, screaming at top of lungs. Amy follows him.)

"... Um... Okay...By the way, I warn you that this chapter contains slightly more violence than usual chapters, such as blood and gore that may disturb younger, non-teen readers. If you are such, or you don't like disturbing images of such, you might want to skip the second half of the chapter... And there's angst here too. Yay, angst! On to the Fic!"

Shadow: "AGHHH!"

* * *

"Who said you could start this party without me?" Naruto asked, a dissaproving look on his face. "Why didn't anyone wake me up before you left?" Hinata shook her head. 

"RiD-sensei wanted to see what your reaction would be..."

"... Eh, fine. At least I got in on some of the action." Naruto got into a fighting stance.

* * *

_Hinata's Debt: Never Again!_

* * *

"You're right, Zabuza... I, RiD, can't hope to win this battle and save my team... However... If I were someone else..." Came RiD's voice. Roxas muttered something, but Naruto didn't have the time to make out what it was. Haku started to throw senbon needles at the duo, who, unable to dodge in time, were cut many times. As Hinata dodged another, she called to her brown-clothed teamate.

"Naruto-kun, do you have any plans to get us out of this?"

"No... wait... maybe if I... Fire melts ice, right?" Naruto asked as he took a senbon to the cheek, sending some more blood onto the ground.

"Yeah."

"Well, you better be careful, because it's gonna get hot in here!" Naruto said, his hair becoming longer and more spiked back. Streaks of crimson found thier place amoung Naruto's blond hair, and his eyes became green. Once again, Naruto felt the sensation of allowing another presense work with him. Two chakrams appeared in a burst of flame, floating a mere inch from Naruto's outstreached hands. He looked his friend in the eye and grinned. "Got it memorized?"

Haku threw another swarm of needles, but this time Naruto blocked a few that were coming at himself and Hinata. He spun his chakrams around in response, and the temperature started to increase.

"BURN, BABY!" Naruto roared, throwing his weapons at one of the mirrors. As it flew and spun, the weapon burst into flame, and when it returned to Naruto's hand, without a single flame with it, there was a crack in one of the mirrors on the top row. Dodging and blocking as many senbon as he could, Naruto continued smashing at the mirrors, intending to break them one by one. Hinata spent her time trying to back her teamate up, throwing kunai with exploding tags at the mirror that Naruto had weakened. Finally, after three tags and twenty eight burning chakrams, the first of the mirrors burst into mere shards.

"Yes!" Hinata exclaimed, overwelmed with joy at the accomplishment.

"Don't get cocky! We still need to smash the rest if we're going ot stop this madness!"

"It seems... that you won't quit." Haku said, remorse in his voice. "Fine... I have no choice. There is nothing left for me to do except to act as a true shinobi... and take your lives!" Almost immediatly, Naruto felt a mind dulling pain as seven senbon were lodged in the back of his left shoulder, the force of which knocking him to the ground and knocking Axel back into Naruto's heart. Another second passed and Haku was back in a mirror, gazing at Naruto with eight senbon raised, these obviously being aimed for Naruto's vital organs. "It ends here for you. I... am sorry."

Time seemed to be moving in slow motion as Haku threw the senbon.

'This is... this is it. I'm... I'm going to die.'

The senbon seemed to crawl towards the ninja, who found that he was rooted to the ground, unable to escape. His life seemed to flash before his eyes.

'I'm... sorry I couldn't help out more...'

* * *

_"For your credit, at least this time the prank made the monument look a little better..."_

'Iruka-sensei...'

* * *

_"... I understand, but you need to have your picture taken normally, WITHOUT the facepaint."_

'Old Man Hokage...'

* * *

_"What have I told you about using the Darkness for such trivial matters?"_

'Xemnas, Xigbar... guys...'

* * *

_"Hmm... Pulling pranks, huh? Are you good at it?"_

'RiD...'

_

* * *

"Oh, no reason... I just needed something to write on your gravestone."_'Llednar...'

* * *

_"Why do I train? It's to avenge my family..."_

'Sasuke...'

_

* * *

"I hear you are on the same team as Hinata. Please... take care of my daughter._

'Old Man Hyuuga...'

* * *

_"My goal is... to prove myself to anyone who has ever doubted me... and to pay back any debts I owe others."_

'Hinata...'

* * *

A blur of back cloth, pale skin, and dark hair suddenly appeared in front of Naruto, standing between him and the needles that would have proved to be his death. 

'Hinata?'

The needles struck true, knocking the hieress of the Hyuuga clan to the ground. The instruments of death were embeded in her chest, neck, and shoulders. Naruto managed at last to find the strength to stand, and ran to his comrade.

"HINATA!"

He picked her up, looking into her now-dulling eyes.

"N-Naruto... you're... not hurt... right?"

"Yeah..."

"... I'm glad."

"But... why? Why did you do this?"

"I..." The girl seemed about to say something. Haku watched from a distance, able to know without hearing them what those unspoken words were. "...I owed you... for that time six years ago..."

"What... Oh, yeah. But... I didn't want you to do this! We were supposed to come back from this, the both of us! You were going to show your dad that Justu you were working on!"

"Naruto... thank you... I..." Her eyes closed, and her heart grinded to a halt.

"Hinata... no... you... you're... dead..." He looked at Haku, who was stil watching.

"Is this the first time you've lost someone precious to you?" The Ninja asked. When the gentle query was made, something inside Naruto snapped. Organization XIII noticed something strange going on beneath their feet.

"The Kyuubi's chakra levels... they're... increasing..." Vexen said, perplexed by the thought.

"It's his emotions... Naruto's despair is being converted into dark energy..." Zexion muttered, his thoughts racing. "... and the Kyuubi is consuming it, making it into Chakra! At this rate..."

Xemnas finished for him. "There's no way we'd be able to contain this much! No way!" The chkra came out like a raging river, knocking the members of Organization XIII into the blissful abyss of unconsisousness...

* * *

Back in the real world, Naruto's eyes seemed to flicker between blue and red. 

"And you..." he murmured to said missing ninja. "You... YOU... **YOU!"** They boy's eyes finally decided on the color red, and the whisker marks on his face grew in thickness, becoming more jagged. Naruto's claws appeared in a flash of dark energy and red chakra, and the mist that had rolled in started to be absorbed into them, making Naruto stronger. The bandages unwrapped themselves, burning away because of the red chakra, revealing that Naruto's hands had become more bestial, fur growing where the bandages had been. The claws revealed themselves to be attached to Naruto's furry hands, and the amount of red chakra being released from them seemed to increase every second. The boy roared.

* * *

_"Good, because you have so many reasons to be afraid that I-" _Riku was cut off, the eyes that had inexplicably turned yellow returning to the blue-green his old friends had love as a roar came from the place where Naruto, Hinata, and Haku had been fighting. 

**"YOU! YOU **_**KILLED**_** HER... I'LL DESTROY YOU!"** And the two ninja, as well as Llednar and Tazuna, could only stare through the mist that seemed to be absorbed into a single, crimson-glowing core of dark energy...

* * *

"Who... what ARE you?" Haku asked. 

Another roar was all the reply he got. Naruto rushed at the mirror, obliterating it only moments after Haku escaped. He threw senbon behind him, hitting Naruto in the back, only for it to dissolve in the darkness along with the rest of the senbon that had been in him. He glared at Haku, a single roar being all it took to destroy the mirror he was in, along with every other mirror.

**"There's nowhere left for you to run..."**

"How could you... What _are_ you?" Haku asked again. Fear gripping every corner of his body.

**"I... AM YOUR ESCORT TO THE DEEP DARKNESS!"** With another roar, Naruto lunged onto the missing nin, claws sinking into Haku's chest, yet drawing no blood. Naruto seemed to be fanatically searching for something for a few seconds, then roared in triumph as he found purchase and pulled. When he ripped his claw out of Hku's chest, RiD could only stare at what Naruto had found.

"A... a heart..." The claws held a translucent red heart-shaped light, pulsing with the timing of a heartbeat. Naruto looked into it, as if pondering something. He glanced at Hinata, then back to the heart.

**"She's...**_ she's not dead..." _The still Kyuubi-powered boy mutered, the roaring fury gone for the moment. He couldn't see the details, but he knew, just as certainly as Haku had, that Hyuuga Hinata still lived.

* * *

He was suddenly sent out of his reverie by the sounds of several men climbing onto the bridge. He placed the heart, unharmed, on the ground, and faced the group of thugs led by none other than Gato, who was sporting a broken arm. 

"Well, well, well! Look at what it's come to!" The tycoon laughed. "I can see that you never stood a chance. You're not half the demon you claime to be!" He walked up to Hinata's 'corpse.' "Too bad about this little girl, though. From what I've overheard and what my spies told me, her eyes are supposed to be worth a fortune!" The short man kicked the girl, sending her limp body rolling a few feet. "Ah, well. Maybe I'll be able to salvage them later!" He was about to grab her when he heard a threatening growl. He looked at Naruto.

"Well, what kind of monstosity do we have here? A little brat with furry hands and unclipped fingernails? Were you some kind of pet to this girl?" Naruto growled at the man's insinuation.

_"You won't touch her. I won't let you!"_ Gato laughed.

"Who's gonna stop me? You? As much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, you and your friends aren't gonna be alive after this. You see... I've decided that Zabuza here is costing me too much money, so I hired these guys to kill him **and** you. Course, they cost something too, so feel free to kill a few of them off before you bite the big one!" He laughed as he went into the crowd.

* * *

"Well..." Riku remarked. "This is an interesting turn of events." 

"Yeah... It seems I no longer work for Gato. We have no quarrel," Zabuza agreed. "Tell ya what, as a token of my regret... I'll kill all of these fools and Gato for you! It should be ea-"

_"No."_ Zabuza turned to Naruto, who had growled the word. _" He sent you here and insulted Hinata, one of the first friends I've ever had. The fool is mine."_

"Are you nuts, kid? You're just a Genin. You couldn't take these punks! Leave it to m-" A hand on his shoulder stoped him. Zabuza turned to Riku.

"Naruto... Are you sure you can survive this encounter?" Naruto grinned, revealing enlarged canines.

_"I don't know, and I don't care... These idiots are getting on my nerves, and I intend to destroy all of them. Besides, Zabuza still has someone to return to... Haku would be heartbroken to learn that his only friend died here. Zabuza... His heart sits there, waiting to be returned to his body. Go, restore him. I..."_ the chakra flowing from his claws pulsed. **"Still have Chakra to siphon off!"**

"... I see. Go for it, kid." Riku grinned, as Naruto rushed toward the mob.

"WHAT ARE YA WAITING FOR! KILL 'EM!" Gato called, and the mob charged, only to be stopped by intense waves of killer intent flowing off the boy... no, _demon,_ rushing on all fours towards them.

* * *

It was a massacre. Naruto rushed into the mob, slicing apart those who dared atack him, both physically and spiritually. Blood flew everwhere and hearts flew to the sky, barely getting one yard into the air before being torn to ribbons by the monster that had torn them from their bodies.

* * *

Llednar watched this, his usually stoic face filled with horror. He emptied his stomach at the sight of Naruto tearing a man limb from limb before cutting another's head off. 

'What... what is this? The look on his face, the chakra levels he's unleashing... it's not human! How is Naruto pulling this off?' He thought, considering everything he knew about Naruto. Eventually, he came to an answer...

* * *

When the last of the thugs had been taken out, Naruto turned his attention to Gato, who was running to the boat he had used to get to the bridge. The man was only inches away before a fox tail burst from a portal of darknes right under the man's feet, wrapping itself around the foolish mortal. Naruto waked calmly to the man, savoring the moment. 

**"Thought you could get away, did you, after doing what you've done? I hate to be the bearer of bad news,"** the demon spit in Gato's face, pulling back a claw. Naruto plunged his claws into Gato's chest, blood splatering everywhere as he pull both the physical and spiritual hearts from the gaping hole, all without disconnecting them from his body. **"But that's not happening. No... I'm going to kill you."** He slowly closed his grip on the hearts, causing the man to silently scream out in agony. Slowly but surely, the man's heartbeats faded, and his eyes dulled. Naruto then broke both hearts, promising that the man would go through horrors worse than death. Dead, but not truely dead...

"ughn..." The small voice banished the demon back into Naruto's heart, the boy became fuly aware of his surroundings. He stared at the blood and gore everywhere, before looking to see Hinata's waking form.her eyes were open, he knew, but she had not seen the carnage he caused yet. The carnage _he_ had made... his fault... his fault...

_"YOU are the Kyuubi no Kitsune._"

Naruto had never really thought about those words since that night, and now... Now he could see what Mizuki had meant... Was all of this a lie? All he was on the outside, was that a lie? who knew how many people he had just killed, and he had enjoyed every second of it... His heart in turmoil, Naruto opened a portal of darkness and warped away from the gruesome sight.

* * *

As Naruto bounded through the trees, past the mob of townsfolk obviously going in the opposite direction as he, to help in the already finished battle. He mentally called out for his friends, Organization XIII, but could not hear an answer. 

'Did I kill them with that power? Oh please, no... please be alive... please, respond! Xemnas! Xigbar! Xaldin!...' And so as he called their names again and again, the feeling of hopelessness grew more and more with every unanswered plea. He wanted to hear Xemnas scold him for using his powers for selfish goals, for Xigbar to praise him for said use of darkness. He missed Vexen and Zexion giving him ideas for strategies and Lexaus and Saix arm wrestling while Xaldin watched and laughed. He wished to hear Axel and Roxas talking together about the world around them, showing rare moments of insight, and to hear Demyx practicing new songs on his Sitar while Marluxia held his hands over his ears. He desired to hear Larxene, the closest thing he had to a mother, telling him to eat something other than Ramen for a change. And now he needed, more than anything, to hear them tell him it'll be alright...

* * *

**_Next Time on XIII Ninja: Confrontation! Of Keyblades and Chasers!_**

* * *

"Yep, no speech to talk about the contents of the next Chapter. And yes, I put a cliffie at the end. Not quite as evil of a cliffie as I planned (I was gonna end the chapter at the same point that last chapter ended (just as Naruto went demon.). Instead, I decided I'd continue and create a less... action-y cliffhanger. Gave me a chance to put in some angst! Woo!" 

Sora: "You didn't kill Haku! Good job! I knew you had the resraint!"

"... I could still change my mind. I could. Really. I could simply click the Export button and alter the chapter, if you annoyed me enough."

Sora: "..."

"Good boy! Next chaper will answer a few questions and raise a really important question or two! Cool! See ya then!"


	13. Cofrontation!

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

"I can tell a few of you are annoyed at my cliffie... Allow me to make it better with Angst, and some revealed truths... Warning, thoughts of suicide coming up. And by the end of the chapter, some of you hate me more than usual. That's my money-back garantee! (though you gave me no money to begin with... Offer not valid if you are older than 1 week, racist, sexist, evil, or faking your non-hatred.) Wait... I'm not helping this situation, am I?"

Itachi: "Feed your anger, nurture your hate. If you seek revenge, you must do these things."

Xemnas: "Anger and Hate... are surpreme. Let them consume you..."

"Stop trying to turn the audience to the dark side, or against me."

Xemnas: "Sorry. I don't know what got into me."

"Itachi?"

Itachi: "I have no excuse. I regret nothing."

"Oh, really?" (Opens a portal and uber-fied Sasuke appears.)

Uber-Sasuke: "Time for my revenge!"

"It's Itachi stomping day." (Uber-Sasuke chases Itach with large boots as "Weasel Stomping Day" plays in the background. Author laughs.)

Itachi: "I regret NOTHING!"

"Nor do I. Onto the Fic."

* * *

Llednar had the presense of mind to rush up to Hinata, looking her in the eye. He knew the last thing Naruto would want for her was for her to see what he had done...

"What... What happened?" Llednar frowned at the girl.

"Hinata... Look at me. Whatever happens, don't look anywhere else."

"... Okay." Carefully, Llednar lead the girl away from the bridge and the destruction. Riku smiled at the Biskmatar approvingly, then turned to Zabuza and Haku, who had been restored.

"Zabuza, can I trust you not to kill Tazuna while I'm gone?"

"We'll protect him with our lives. Go take care of your students." The man had, in losing Haku for however brief a moment, realized what he really cared about. Haku wasn't just a student, a tool to be sharpened. He was a friend. He was family. He watched as Riku disappeared in the same pillar of darkness Naruto had used only moments ago. "Good luck."

* * *

Hinata was worried. Here she was, alive, even though she had taken those needles for Naruto. As she left the bridge, she could smell a horrible scent. After a while she realized that it was the stench of blood. Great amounts of it, in fact. Then Llednar came to her and led her away from the scent.

And Naruto was nowhere to be found.

She feared that she had smelled _his_ blood in the mess behind her. Why else would Llednar make her keep her eyes focused on him, forbidding her to look elsewhere?

"Llednar-san... Where's Naruto-kun?"

"He..." Hinata feared the worst as Llednar trailed off.

"Is he..."

"No. He fled as soon as you woke," RiD said as he appeared beside him. He looked very different than Hinata remembered. His hair was longer, and his eyes were darker. The bandages were removed, revealing tanned skin that had likely seen many years under the sun. In his right hand there was a sword unlike any other she had seen. the main blade was styled in the shape of a demon-like wing, black where the bone would be and red where there would only be skin. However, at the tip of the blade, a small angel wing burst forward, glowing in an unearthly way, much like a small light trying to make itself known in the deepest darkness. The hilt was style in much the same way as the main part of the blade, with black feathered wings serving as the guards. From the bottom of the hilt there was a chain with a small symbol on the end. The symbol was heart-shaped, but it gave her a sense of foreboding.

"RiD-sensei... Why would-"

"Don't call me RiD anymore. You deserve, at least, to know me by my true name. You can call me Riku. Naruto left because... well, something happened. Something involving the... thing that makes him special." Riku said, obviously skating on the edges of the Hokage's Law. "The one Mizuki spoke of."

"You speak of Kyuubi?" Riku stopped right there, staring at Llednar.

"How-?"

"It was fairly obvious if you actuallly took all details into account..." Llednar said as he started to explain how he had learned of Naruto's secret...

* * *

_"Who are you?"_

_"We are ------. We've come to make an offer for you. You seek power, and if you follow our instructions, you will get it._

_"I see... What do I have to do, pray tell?_

_"... Study the darkness of the heart, and the answer will become apparent..."_

_"The darkness... of the Heart?"_

_"Yes... Do this, ------, and you will have power to do whatever you wish!"_

_"... What's in it for you?"_

* * *

_"__Sora__? What's happeni-"_

_"No time! The ------__ are coming! Take ------ and go!"_

_"What?!"_

_"I'm not leaving you!"_

_"There's no time, Riku! You have to go! Get away from here!"_

_"But what about you?"_

_"My fate is sealed, along with this place... Just like Kairi's was."_

_"NO!"_

_"I'm sorry, Riku... Take care of ------ for me. He's all I have left of her. _Warp_!"_

_"Sora..."_

_"Roxas, you ready?"_

_"As I'll ever be..."_

_"Ok... We both know we can't win, but we have to distract them, so Riku and ------ can escape. Let's give them hell."_

* * *

_"You can't turn on the ------! You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you."_

_"Noone would miss me."_

* * *

_"W-why? Why are you DOING this?"_

_"For power."_

_"F-for power? I thought I gave you enough of that already, ------!"_

_"How sad... it seems you won't make it... and you were such a nice toy, -------."_

* * *

_"Roxas!"_

_I'm tired... Let me sleep!_

_"Please, respond! I... I need you!"_

_Can't it wait?_

_"Roxas! Please... don't leave me alone..."_

_I'm sorry... I'm just __**so**_

* * *

_"Axel!"_

_Man, I'm wiped... I'm sorry, whoever you are, but I can't help ya._

_"Please... Please respond!"_

* * *

_"Larxene!"_

_So... tired... am I... dead?_

_"Are you there? Please... please answer me!"_

_... Wait... isn't that... Naruto?_

_"P-Please... Please answer me... T-tell me it'll be okay... I'm sorry..."_

* * *

Of thirteen, only one managed to regain herself at that time... only one tried to answer the call. Only one, spured on by the desire to help one from her old home, fought back to save him from the darkness within him...

* * *

Larxene summoned her kunai, slicing at the monsters born of darkness that came at her. They weren't Heartless, but dark they were. They fought with the fury of the Demon Fox they had been modeled after.

"Thunder!" She called, striking the Demons with bolts of lightning. She had to get out! She had to, for her... Host? Ally? Friend? No... Family. As far as she cared, Naruto was her family. She had watched him grow up, going through the horrors of living in a village that hated him for something he didn't do. She was there for him when he finally faced the reality of why he was hated so. She had helped him during times of danger... She wasn't going to back down now because stupid furballs were trying to stop her! Not when he needed her so much! She roared, releasing lightning in all directions.

"I won't fail him..." She said, a smile on her face as the monsters closed in...

* * *

Naruto sat in a tree, tears falling from his eyes. How much had he lost today? Even if she was still alive... When Hinata heard about what he did, she'd never want to speak with him again. Llednar had seen what had happened, and he'd think Naruto a monster. They'd hate him like all the others...

Organization XIII hadn't answered his calls. He could only guess that he had wiped them from existance, the demon's chakra crushing them. He'd lost them, too.

And all the lives he'd claimed... How could he forgive himself for that, even if they'd deserved it... Would it be better... if he wasn't here? If Hinata had not saved him from those senbon? Would it be better if he had died there? RiD would have protected Hinata and the others just fine, and Organization had done a good job taking care of him, so they would likely have gained that second chance they were promised...

Maybe it wasn't too late... Maybe... maybe they were still there, barely alive. If he ended it here, they'd still be given that chance... He raised a kunai, seeing his blood-stained reflection in the blade.

"Better do it now..." He said, lifting the weapon, only to have it knocked from his hands, a calm Llednar and uncharacteristically furious Hinata restraining him.

"What the HELL were you about to do?" Hinata shouted, although she already knew and was absolutely angry at her friend for it.

"I... I was doing what was best for the village... for the world... for y-" He suddenly felt a pain on his cheek where Hinata had put all her strength into slapping him. He stared at her determined face. She had never done anything like this before. She had threatened to before, but he never thought-

"Don't even think like that. Naruto-kun... You're my friend. I'm not going to leave that behind because you killed a bunch of people, even if you had done it the way Llednar seems to suggest."

"Hinata... You don't know what you're talking about. There is something about me that you don't know-"

"The Kyuubi? Yeah, I was at the forest when Mizuki told you. I haven't left you yet, though, so what makes you think I'm going to leave now? Like I said, you're my friend." Naruto looked to Llednar, who was standing upside down on a tree branch, holding Naruto's wrists. The boy smirked, already knowing what the fox boy was going to ask.

"Like I told the others, it's pretty obvious if you think about it. Your birthday, the whiskers, the chakra, the claws, the tail... need I go on? As for my reaction... I must say I'm pleased to be working with such a strong person."

"WHA?" Llednar laughed at the dumbstuck look Naruto was giving him.

"You see... We of the Twem Clan honor two things above all others. The first is strength. The stronger you are, the more honorable you are, which is why we make the strongest of each generation Biskmatars and train them to become the leaders of our clan. We also honor those who use said power wisely. You have great power, and you use it to protect those you care about it. I must say that it takes a great mental strength to sacrifice yourself to protect those you care about, as I can tell you were about to try and do. For that, I respect you even more, but... I can't let you try it."

"You're stuck with us, kiddo!" Riku said, warping on the tree. However, his weight on the already strained tree was too much, and the branch broke leaving all clinging to Llednar, who was pushing his chakra into his fet in an effort to keep from falling, but the branch he was hanging from broke, and they fell into the bushes. "Course," He muttered, "With friends like us, who needs enemies, eh?"

Naruto grinned and rubbed his nose, feeling a light returning to his heart. "The demon-brat prankster of Konoha, the so called failure heir of the Hyuuga Clan, the psyco heir of the Twem Clan, and an absent-minded Jounin who can't even remember to tell his students where they're meeting the next day!"

"Hey, that only happened once! I'm the only normal one out of you crazies!" And so as Team 9 laughed and teased, the light within Naruto grew...

* * *

With the sound of laughter bursting throughout the darkness, the demons were banished, and Larxene found herself back in the space she knew as her home, Naruto's Heart. all around her, the other people in Organization XIII slowly awoke, free from the force of the Kyuubi that had almost taken over. She smiled before finally subcumbing to her weariness...

* * *

"So... Riku, huh?" Naruto asked. They were on their way back home, their mission done. Zabuza and Haku had promised to watch over the village and help it until it was back on its feet, then he said he and Haku would travel about for a while. Riku nodded.

"Yeah."

"Why did you change it to RiD?"

"You have to understand that there are people out there who... would come after me had they realized who I was... I didn't want this world to be in danger because I lived here. So I changed my identity, in hopes that the village would be safe. I also refrained from using any abilities that only I could use."

"... You put alot of thought into it." Llednar said.

"Yeah."

"... And you threw all of it away to protect us," Hinata said, eyes downcast. Riku gave a trademark grin that once belonged to his old friend, and put his hand on Hinata's head, ruffling her hair a little.

"Eh, it doesn't matter. It would likely have been only a matter of time. You can't hide who you really are, no matter how hard you try..."

Roxas, now fully recovered from the Kyuubi's assult on Naruto's heart, looked pensive. Axel grinned and nudged the blond.

"Hey, come on, Roxas! Now you know that Sora's sacrifice wasn't in vain!"

"That's... that's where you're wrong..."

"What? How could you say-"

"Naruto... first chance we get, I need full control. I have some questions for Riku..." Everyone stared at Roxas, who looked deadly serious in a way no one ever thought he could be. "I can't accept this. Not until I hear the whole story from him, directly."

* * *

Naruto got his chance the day after they arrived at Konoha. He tracked Riku's now-familiar scent to the place in memorial for lost ninjas. He walked up to the Keybearer, slowly shifting form. Hair curved slightly, became more golden-blond than simple blond, and the eyes grew dark and serious. Roxas shifted the darkness that made Naruto's clothes to change them to his old Twilight Town street clothes. Just as he finished, Riku turned around, having sensed the presence of Sora's Nobody. He shrugged, a sad look in his eyes.

"I guess it was only a matter of time..." He muttered. "So, Roxas, the Key of Destiny and number XIII of the XIII Order... I take it you wish to know something of me?" He asked, knowing exactly what Roxas was about to ask.

"I need to know... And I promise that if you don't answer, I'll kill you right now," He threatened, daul Keyblades at Riku's throat in an instant.

"Well... What's your question?"

"Where is Tensai? Where is Sora's son?"

* * *

_"Take Tensai and go!"_

_"I'm not leaving you!"_

_**Next Time on XIII Ninja: Tears of the Sea and Sky, Loss of the Horizon! Riku's Story!**_

* * *

"Thirteenth Chapter of XIII Ninja, including the proluge, so I decided to throw in something special."

Sora: "Another Cliffhanger..."

"Oops, did I do that?" (Gives an innocent look.) "But at least I answered some questions."

Sora: "Yeah, and created SO many more."

"Yep." (Looks at Itachi who is running from Uber-Sasuke. Weasel Stomping Day is still playing in the background.) "Squishies! See you next time!"


	14. Riku's Story

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

"Stepmania."

Shadow: "What? That DDR ripoff? What about it?"

"I play it. I like it. I still need tech that can connect dance mat to computer, but I still like."

Shadow: "... Nut."

"Anyway... remember the rules of the road."

Shadow: "Yeah... I don't think Sonic would like to be roadkill."

"What of you?"

Shadow: "... I can use chaos control to dodge cars. I'm immortal. I don't need to worry about idiot drivers."

"Yeah... Sweet niblets!"

Shadow: "You're stalling because you want to make the readers who are waiting for the next chapter (and an explanation of what happened to Tensai) annoyed at you."

"Yep."

Shadow: "... I'm helping, aren't I?"

"Yep."

Shadow: "... On to the Fic!"

"Hey! Fun sucker..."

* * *

"I guess it was only a matter of time..." He muttered. "So, Roxas, the Key of Destiny and number XIII of the XIII Order... I take it you wish to know something of me?" He asked, knowing exactly what Roxas was about to ask.

"I need to know... And I promise that if you don't answer, I'll kill you right now," He threatened, daul Keyblades at Riku's throat in an instant.

"Well... What's your question?"

"Where is Tensai? Where is Sora's son?"

* * *

"So, how was the mission?" Remedi gave a reassuring smile to Llednar, her heir.

"Things were... hectic, Remedi-sama. However, I have learned much, especially concerning the honorable Naruto-san, master of Kyuubi."

"... I see. So you've learned of his burden... And?"

"And... what, my mistress?"

"What do you think of him now?" Remedi queried.

"He's suffered under the eyes of this village, and for so wrong a reason. If I had the authority, I would bring him... I would bring him somewhere where his powers would be appreciated."

"... I see."

"When he learned his secret was comprimised, he believed that his teamates would abandon him, and fell into a state of despair. We stopped him before he could do anything... unreasonable."

"... I knew it. I told the Hokage this could happen... You did the right thing. Now... How has your training progressed?"

"I have started work on a new justu, but I cannot design it to work effectively for me... It will not hit, no matter what alterations I make to it..."

* * *

Pale eyes met thier reflection as Hinata examined her new clothes. Her coat had been shredded during the clash on the bridge, so one of the first things she did after returning home was aquire a new, more durable set of mission clothes. She now wore dark, dull blue coat over a black sleeveless shirt and a pair of navy leggings that went down further than her old ones. The flame emblem was in the same place as in her previous outfit. She sighed.

"Well... I guess these will do..."

* * *

Riku looked at Roxas, the look of resignation in his every feature. As he locked eyes with the Key of Destiny, he saw overlaid on him the visage of his old friend, Sora, though he had only seen anger on the Keybearer's face directed at him a handful of times.

He had barely discerned the glare Sora had given him while he was possessed by Xehanort.

Zexion, in the guise of Sora, had given that glare while he berated Riku for his betrayal.

When Sora had confronted him for the first time in the World that Never Was, he had glared at who he thought was the one who had caused him so much pain, not realizing that underneath the illusion was the person he had fought so hard to find.

Shortly after fighting Xemnas, when Riku had given up all hope, his friend had chided him for it.

And when... at the end... Sora had glared at him for refusing to flee. Thinking about those moments caused his mind to leave the present and find itself in reletively peaceful days long past...

* * *

_"Remember, no holding back!"_

_"I don't intend to!" Riku rushed at his friend, Way to the Dawn out and poised to strike. Sora, meanwhile, grinned as his black clothes, which seemed to grow with him, transformed, taking the colors of the clothes he had worn when his first journey had started. The two of them charged, clashing for the briefest of moments, then luanched back. They were ready to finish each other, if they needed to._

_Except that they didn't need to, since they were sparing. Kairi was watching from the distance. She would have joined in as well, using her Keyblade (which she had dubbed Pureheart), if it wasn't for the small bulge in her stomach that whe knew would protest to any major action. So she watched from afar, smiling as she observed the match that took place._

_Riku landed at the same time as Sora, spinning his Keyblade around. An almost Sora-ish smile was on his face._

_"Okay... It's time I show you my new ultimate technique!" Suddenly, 10 swords made completely of darkness appeared around Sora, who made to take a defensive stance..._

_Only to find that chains had wraped themselves around his arms and legs. These chains, which came from small portals of darkness, pulled, forcing Sora into a defensiveless state. Riku threw Way to the dawn into the air and charged at Sora, grasping one of the many dark blades. Riku then advanced to the speed of Sora's own Sonic Blade technique, slicing past Sora several times, each time with one of the the dark swords he had conjured. Sora was even more shocked when Riku had taken Sora's Ultima Weapon as well and struck with that before launching into the air._

_"Now, take this!" Riku had left the Keyblade embedded in the sand and was now falling directly above Sora, Way to the Dawn in hand. Riku landed, leaving a shallow cut down Sora's shirt. Sora's eyes widened, knowing that, had he decided to, Riku could have dealt a fatal blow right there. Instead, there were only thin cuts on various parts of his body, most not even making it past his shirt._

_"What... What was that?"_

_"A technique I designed after our most recent visit to Radiant Garden. Surely you recognized at least part of the attack?"_

_"... Cloud's Omnislash. But how...?"_

* * *

"Well?" Roxas asked, narrowing his eyes and shaking Riku out of his memories. "Are you going to explain?"

"... Yeah... You deserve to know... I just kinda got lost in my memories... You see..."

* * *

_Riku was shaken out of his peaceful sleep to see two figures. One was his longtime friend, Sora, and the other was his three year old son, Tensai. The boy had long, light brown hair that spiked down slightly in the front and was messy everywhere. He wore a blue shirt and shorts, and had the Oathkeeper keychain hanging around his neck. Riku blinked off the sleep circles in his vison. "__Sora__? What's happeni-"_

_"No time! The Chasers__ are coming! Take Tensai and go!" Sora interuppted._

_"What?!" Riku exclaimed. He looked to his godson, then back to Sora. He could already feel the darkness that the Chasers held..."I'm not leaving you!" He protested, but Sora pushed Tensai into Riku's arms. The little boy did not cry, but only looked at his father with eyes ful of questions._

_"There's no time, Riku! You have to go! Get away from here! There's an exit to the cave in the opposite direction."_

_"But what about you?"_

_"My fate is sealed, along with this place... Just like Kairi's was."_

_"NO! No it isn't! You go with Tensai. I'm stronger, I can hold-"_

_"Precisely. You're stronger, so you are more capable of taking care of my son than I am... Please do this for me..."_

_"Sora!"_

_"I'm sorry, Riku... But my heart is telling me what I must do. Let me do as it commands... Take care of Tensai for me. He's all I have left of her. _Warp_!" Before Riku could protest, a vortex opened beneath Riku and Tensai, and they fell._

_They spent what felt like years to Riku in that abyss, being thrown about and ripped into by high-speed winds. Riku felt his grip loosen, but tried to reinforce it._

* * *

"... I woke up several days later, in a castle in a forest. It's master was a king who was happily married to none other than Belle. Turned out they found me just outside the courtyard and nursed me back to health. However, when I asked if they had found anyone else..."

"I see," Roxas muttered, half to himself.

"I spent the next six years searching... I looked in every world Sora had ever had a connection to, even the World that Never was and the End of the World. But it was in vain. There was no trace of him... Except in Disney Castle."

"What did you find there?"

"... Ruins. The castle was destroyed, and not a single person I saw was alive. I don't know if they got to Mickey, but I know they got to Tensai... This," He pulled out a tattered Oathkeeper Keychain. The lucky charm looked to have seen better days, and the whole bottom half of it was broken. "This is proof of it... I'm sorry, Roxas. I know... He was as much your son as he was Sora's..."

"... No..." Roxas dispelled his Keyblades, and fell to his knees. "That... Can't be... no..." His form melted away, returning to the depths of Naruto's Heart, and left Naruto, wearing his usual brown clothes, on the ground, unconcious. Riku picked the blond up and warped back to Naruto's house. He stepped in, raising an eyebrow at the untidynes of it all.

"... I would have thought that Organization XIII would have had Naruto keep this place clean..."

"Organizaiton XIII?" Riku turned around, seeing the Hokage standing in the doorway.

"Hokage-sama... Just a moment, let me put Naruto back in his bed... What are you doing here?"

"This mess was not Naruto's doing... Someone broke in." The Hokage blew some smoke form his pipe. "But... first things first. What is this Organization XIII?"

* * *

"... I see... So this Organization is allied to Naruto?"

"Apparently... They've been teaching Naruto various techniques, and guiding him throughout life. I don't know much more aout the situation than that. Now, what is this about someone breaking into Naruto's house?"

"... We aren't sure. ANBU are searching the town right now for them, but we don't have any leads. We think, however, that it is likely a very skilled ninja."

"Thier objective?"

"I can't say for sure... but we think that they were after Naruto's life."

"WHAT?" Riku slammed his hand down on the table, almost breaking it.

"It's unfortuante, but this sort of thing happens every once in a while. However... they never get this far. The Jounin I station around the house are usually able to catch them. I don't know how it is that they pulled this off."

"Maybe one of them betrayed your orders?"

"We're checking that. We've sent all of them to Ibiki. If they were involved, we'll know soon..." There was silence, which was broken by Riku

"So, you've got Ibiki on the case? If they are proven guilty with thier minds intact... send them my way," he almost snarled. "I don't tolerate anyone messing with my students, and Naruto's already had a bad time without them messing things up more." He grinned maliciously.

* * *

That night...

* * *

"Hey, Biggs."

"Yeah, Wedge?"

"How long do we have till our relief arrive?"

"Still a few more hours."

"Damn it! If whoever attacked that kid's house shows up, I'm gonna kill that bastard!"

"Now, now, you don't have to go emotional on me! We're ANBU. We're supposed to be emotionless during missions."

"Yeah, but I was supposed to meet my wife to watch the play 'I wanna Be Your Can- agh!" Wedge fell from his post outside Naruto's apartment, several shuriken stuck in him. Biggs turned around, ready to attck, only to be decapitated cleanly with a windmill Shuriken. A single man walked past the fallen ninja, a smile on his face.

"Your time has come, Demon Fox!"

* * *

Hinata hit the ground, facing Riku in a sparring match. Llednar was watching from a distance, bviously in deep thought. Suddenly, Riku's eyes widened.

"What is it, Riku-sensei?"

"... Naruto. I can sense his power. He's in trouble!" the moment Riku said this, Hinata and Llednar were off, heading straight for Naruto's apartment. Riku sped past them. When they arrived, they noticed two ANBU on the ground, dead, and the door to the apartment broken. They rushed to Naruto's room to find a terrible sight.

Naruto's attacker, a veteran from the Kyuubi attack by the name of Garland, was pinned to the wall right next to them by strange dark poles, unconcious and bleeding profusely. On the opposite side, Naruto was sprawled on the ground, poison senbon needles poking through his skin. A giant shuriken was lodged in him, luckily missing any vital points. Wasting no time, Riku opened a portal of darkness that lead straight to the hospital and yanked the shuriken out of Naruto's body before taking him through. Hinata and Llednar followed, leaving the traitorus Garland pinned to the wall...

* * *

"Should I make this into a horrible, evil, and despicable cliffhanger?"

Naruto: "No! Not after the last few!"

"... Maybe... OK, onto the rest of the fic!"

* * *

"How is he?" Hinata asked.

"... It's lucky that you got him here so quickly..." The Hokage replied, eyes closed and hands clasped. "If you hadn't, he would be dead right now."

"... That... I can't believe... I can't believe that someone would..." Hinata looked down, hiding her eyes behind her hair.

"It's sickening," Riku growled. "Sickening that someone would dare try to take such a person's life because of the circumstances of his birth." He sighed.

"... Yes... but... it wouldn't have happened if Naruto was in a more secure place..." Llednar said, looking knowingly at the Hokage.

"I know... But there are few people who would be willing to take him in. The Twem clan cannot, due to certain circumstances..."

"Circumstances?" Hinata asked, looking askance to her red-clothed teamate.

"We... sort our young at birth, and house them depending on thier potential skils, and a mark left on them by the justu we use is thier identification. However, our prediction justu only works on those who have thier entire life left to them. In other words, a fresh born baby. The Twem clan had no time to perform such a justu for anyone outside our own clan in the time of Naruto's birth... and we can't do it now, for obvious reasons. Naruto, unfortunately, has no place in our clan..."

"But he may have a place to stay in ours." Hinata froze, then turned slowly to face her father. "He does come to our compound to have dinner with us at least once per week. I've begun to see him as a part of our family, and Hinata seems... more motivated... when he is nearby. If you would allow it, Hokage-sama, I would take him into our household. Our clan has become less... hostile concerning him since he rescued Hinata, so I do not see any danger."

"Hmm... Being guarded by the strongest clan in Konoha would have its benefits for Naruto," Riku said, a sly smile on his face. 'And a certain little girl, too!' Riku laughed at that thought. "I was going to take him in myself, but if the Hyuuga clan will allow him to stay with them, I've no complaints."

"I will speak with the elders. If things work out, Naruto will be living with us." Hiashi said. He turned around, walking back the way he had come. Hinata still sat frozen in front of the Hokage's desk, watching her father leave.

'Naruto-kun's going to live with me... Naruto-kun's going to live with me...' The thought ran through her head over and over again, speeding up every time until she could barely percieve exactly what it was she was thinking.

'Naruto-kun's going to live with me!'

* * *

_"Gaara... There's something... familiar about him."_

_"Well, how about we go figure it out!"_

_**Next Time on XIII Ninja: Traces an Old Friend! The Sand Master, Gaara!**_

* * *

Gaara: "... Your plans for me in future chapters... They annoy me."

"Yeah, I know. Well, I'l see you all later!"


	15. Traces of an Old Friend

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

My sister, Holly: "Why won't you die, Demyx?"

Demyx: "Dance, Water, Dance!"

Holly: "Here's a taste of Master Form! How do you like that, you- what the... how'd I lose this time!?"

"... You don't have any abilities equiped, apparently, (Which shocks me, seeing that you got this far without them) you're only using the Kingdom Key... And Demyx owns people, despite what Jiminy says about him being a sucky fighter."

Holly: "... NOOOOOOOOOO!"

"... Yeah... I laugh at you. You're gonna HATE when you face Xaldin and Luxord." (Puts arms over Xaldin and Luxord's shoulders.) "Anyway... where is everyone?"

Luxord: "Out for ramen. Mark's treat."

"Oh... Ah well. I've got my sis, some of the more dangerous Organzation Members, and..." (Doors close behind the readers, who have just walked in.) "I have you, my dear readers." (scary music plays in the background while the doors make the distinct click of a locking noise.) "We'll be BFFs..." (Face suddenly becomes more gruesome.) "Best..." (Eyes glint in the dark.) "Friends..." (Author starts to drool)

* * *

Two days, and Hinata had heard that her father's negotiations had succeeded. As long as Naruto didn't pull any pranks in the compound, he would be allowed to stay.

Three days, and Team Riku and Team Kakashi had been assigned a special mission to move all of Naruto's belongings to a room only five doors down from Hinata's. The Hyuuga heiress couldn't wait to see the look on her friend's face when he heard the news...

Four days, and Naruto was still recovering form the poisons still in his body. He was finally awake, but the poison apparently had a abnormal effect in that the Kyuubi wasn't quite able to heal as easily as any other poison. After hearing about the arangements, Naruto protested at first, insisting that they didn't need to let him in, but after being reminded that the Hyuuga Clan owed him, and that it had proven to be too dangerous for him to live alone, and learned that both Riku AND the Hokage had agreed to these facts, he conceded.

Five days, and, though Naruto was still in no condition to perform missions, he was discharged and brought to his new home. Hinata liked to think that they did a good job moving and sorting all of Naruto's possessions.

Naruto seemed to agree with her on that.

* * *

Meanwhile, Riku was in the shopping district when he heard a unmistakable voice. His eyes widened.

"So, this is Konoha? What a dump! Not a single restraunt that serves steamed buns!" The voice belonged to a genin with red, spiky hair. He wore an orange shirt that was sleeveless on his right side and that didn't cover his midriff. His white pants had an upside-down heart embroidered on the knees. He wore a belt with a kunai puch and a sword sheath. Sewed into the rim of his shirt was the unmistakable symbol of Sunagakure.

"Y-Yun-Seong, do you always have t-to think with your stomach? T-This village is well known for having some of the st-strongest Ninja out t-there," admonished the girl next to him weakly, stuttering even more then Hinata. She was wearing a red top attached to a small circular plate with the symbol of her village on it. String came up from this plate and wrapped around her neck like a necklace. Her red shorts had white flaps over them, with shallow pouches that likely caried a modest amount of shuriken or senbon.

"I know, Talim! But seriously, who's ever heard of a major village without Steamed Buns?"

'If those two are here, then that would mean...' He turned around, eyes growing wider as he confirmed his sight. There he was, a behemoth of a man with purple skin. He wore an executioner styled hood with a plate on the forehead that seemed screwed through his skull. The part of his face that wasn't hidden behind the hood was covered in bandages in a manner very smilar to Zabuza. His chest was exposed, and people flinched at the sight of large metal nails poking out of his back and the nail heads poking into his shoulders. His forearms and hands were bandaged, but three small nails protruded from each of his knuckles. Bandages covered his midriff, and he wore purple baggy pants with large boots instead of the traditional ninja sandals. The cloth that came down between his legs had a strange pattern that Riku recognized as seals. In the center of the seals was a single axe. 'Astaroth of Suna... What the hell is HE doing here?' He rushed to the Hokage's office, not noticing the eagle flying through the sky.

_

* * *

_

* * *

"Why'd you have to go and get her mad?" Naruto yelled at Konohamaru, the two of them fleeing like death itself was after them.

Which, indeed, she was, in the form of a certain pink-haired Kunoichi named Haruno Sakura.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" **"YOU'RE GONNA GET IT NOW, NARUTO! SHANNARO!" **Hearing Inner Sakura's voice only spured Naruto on faster. He knew he wasn't supposed to be running, but he didn't care. If he moved any slower... He was dead anyway.

"By Kingdom Hearts! What did Konohamaru do? I wasn't paying attention," Xemnas said, trembling from the killer intent Sakura was expressing.

"He said that Sakura was Naruto's girlfriend, just to be spiteful to her."

"... Oh," Xemnas blinked at Axel's response. "That would explain it." Xemnas then went back to reading the strange orange book that Riku had introduced him to yesterday. Xigbar walked by, then, seeing exactly what it was that Xemnas was reading, did a double take.

He and Konohamaru passed by a strange duo, paying them no heed as they fled from Sakura. The one who would garantee thier death followed, leaving two bewildered sand-nin in the dust. The black-clad one looked at his companion.

"... What the?"

* * *

Meanwhile, a red-haired sand nin who was watching from the trees checked on his prisoner and his mother...

"G-Gaara...Please... listen to me... I can't last much longer!" The young blond witch beckoned, focusing all her power on keeping the demonic sand away from her...

* * *

Naruto ducked as a kunai flew past him. "Oh, boy, I... I'm at my limit..." He fell, not capable of going any further. The senbon wounds were burning like wildfire... Sakura was only feet from him...

And a blur of blue and white snatched him away.

A few minutes later, Naruto sat next to Sasuke and Konohamaru.

"Hey, dobe, you OK?"

"Just... just peachy. Thanks, Sasuke."

"Hmph. I can't have my teamate killing my training partner, can I?"

"True."

"So, when you get back to full strength, meet me at the usual spot."

"Right." Sasuke was appeased, and left. Konohamaru looked between the two of them.

"What was that about, boss?"

"He and I usually have a match every once in a while, to test our strength."

"Oohhhh..." He closed his eyes in thought. "Hey, Naruto, can I go watch... eh?" Naruto was already gone.

* * *

Riku burst into the room, shocked to find several other Jounin already standing there.

"W-what? So you've already heard?"

"Already heard... what?" Riku's teacher, Kakashi, asked. Riku looked at the Hokage.

"... What's going on here, Riku?" Sarutobi asked.

"I just saw a ninja here... from Suna..."

"Yes, yes, we know. Didn't you notice the message I sent out?"

"...Eh?"

"The Chunin Exams. Three weeks from now."

"The Chunin Exams... So, that's why they're here..."

"Anyway, I was just about to ask you and the other jounin senseis if you were willing to recomend any of the Rookie teams..."

Riku pondered for a moment. If Astaroth was here for the Chunin Exams... But his team has gotten much stronger... After much hesitation that all the Ninja in the room noticed, Riku nodded. "Yes. I recomend all three ninja in my squad."

"... Tell me, Riku. What has got you so worked up?" Kakashi asked later.

"... One of the ninja I saw was a man by the name of Astaroth..."

"Ah... The one who massacred almost all the members of a team that opposed them..." Kakashi knew that mission well. It was the first mission Riku took as a Jounin. They had barely suceeded, and Riku was the only one to come back alive and with all his limbs. During the debriefing for that mission, Riku had described a monster that had torn off both the arms and legs of one of his team, who had died from blood loss, and ripped out the stomach of another ninja, killing her slowly and painfully. Kakashi wasn't sure if this Astaroth knew it, but he had also torn out a piece of Riku's heart that day... And to think that he was only a Genin... He was starting to seriously doubting his decision to allow his team to participate...

* * *

"The Chunin Exams?" Llednar asked.

"Yes. And I'm going to allow you to take part under one very important condition."

"Yeah?" Naruto grinned. This was his chance!

"Even if it costs you the chance of being promoted, stay well away from a man by the name of Astaroth. He's easily recognizable. He's real big, with purple skin. He's a sand nin. If you end up in a battle with him, run. Run as far as you can from him."

"Why?" Hinata asked.

"Because... if he catches you... I garantee you will die a horrible, painful death. Either that, or he'll make sure you'll never again be able to serve as a shinobi." There was a look of deadly seriousness that Naruto had learned to fear in Riku's posture, as though he knew this from experience.

"Damn, that sounds tough..." Naruto said, and realized that he was trembling. "I'll be sure to stay away form him..."

"Me too." Hinata was trembling even more than Naruto. If this man scared Riku-sensei...

Meanwhile, Llednar only stood there, showing no emotions. He twitched slightly, but Riku could recognize, just barely, the look in his eyes. They were the same as when he first met Zabuza...

_"Oh, no reason... I just need something to write on your gravestone."_

He was _excited_. He was excited about facing such a powerful opponent. 'Trust the Twem clan to enjoy the thought that their next battle could end with a sword in their gut, if they aren't careful...'

_

* * *

_

_"No way! I'm not leaving you! He already got Nochi!"_

_"RiD... Please... If one of us doesn't hang back, he'll catch both of us..."_

_"Then let me! I'll hold him off!"_

_"No... You're stronger than I am, of more value to our village... Our home."_

_"..."_

_"He's here! GO! Don't wo-" The voice was cut off with a cry of pain as a hand burst through her. Riku, knowing that he couldn't hope to escape now, rushed into the fray to save the one who reminded him so much of those he had lost. He clashed with the monster's axe, putting all his power into his saber, something he almost never did before out of fear of being found, and knocked the monstrosity away, albeit for a short time. He took his bleeding comrade and ran at full speed out of the collapsing building, knowing that he had no time to dawdle..._

_"RiD... How? How did you..."_

_"That's not important... Just hang on..."_

_"That isn't going to help... He took out my stomach... only a handful of skilled medical-ninjas could heal that, and a medic-nin you are not..."_

_"... No... But... Your husband... your kid... You can't leave this world yet..."_

_"I'll see them again, someday... Tell them... tell them that I did my best..."_

_"I'm sorry..."_

_"Don't apologise. You did your best, too..." The dying woman coughed out blood. "Is there... anybody you want me to find on the other side?"_

_"... A friend of mine and his family. Goes by the name of Sora. A big goof with brown spiky hair. I think you'd like him... Tell him I'm sorry that I couldn't do as he asked... He'l understand."_

_"I will, RiD..."_

_"No... Call me Riku. That's my true name."_

_"Ok, Ri..." The woman's last breath faded before she could finish._

* * *

Riku woke the next morning, enveloped in a cold sweat. It'd been a while since he had last had that particular flashback. After the whole ordeal the Chasers put him through, that mission had to be his worst memory... He looked at the rising sun.

"I don't like this. Knowing that he's here... "

* * *

Naruto grinned as he walked into his usual training area. He had, after one last checkup, been allowed to take missions. Which meant...

"Ready, Naruto?"

"You bet, Sasuke." Naruto summoned his claws, while Sasuke activated his Sharingan. "Heh... Seems you learned a new trick, eh? That's fine... I've gotten stronger, too!" And the two rushed as two silver-haired Jounin watched from just out of sight.

Of course, they both kept _some_ attention on thier little orange books.

* * *

_"My name is Rock Lee. I would like to challenge you!"_

_"Hey, Sasuke, you wouldn't mind me facing this guy first, would ya?"_

* * *

****

(Watches Holly and her friend get beaten AGAIN by Demyx.)

"Demyx: 59, Holly: 0. Ain't this fun, dear readers?"

(The locked door suddenly explodes and Shadow, Sephiroth, and Sora arrive.)

Shadow: "I knew we shouldn't have left him almost completely alone! You know he goes nuts when we aren't supervising."

"You! You'll never take my bestest buds!" (Eye twitches.) "NEVER!"

Sephiroth: "Run, you fools! We can't kill him, but we can give you enough time to escape!"


	16. Lotus vs the Schemer

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Link: "Sory for the wait, Summer's come to an end and James is losing free time again... Wait, what's that sound? It sounds like... No... Couldn't be..."

(The Author is singing, cradling a small blue egg-shaped object.) "La la la..."

Link: "What the... James, what is THAT?"

(James holds the object protectively and bares teeth like a lion) "HISS!"

Shadow: "Manaphy egg. He just got it by beating Pokemon Ranger and doing the special mission for it. It should hatch pretty soon. He's pretty happy about it. Practically bouncing off the walls."

Link: "I don't see the big deal."

Shadow: "This is the first Special Legendary Pokemon he's ever gotten without using a cheat-device. Plus, he worked very hard for it."

(Suddenly, the egg shines brightly, and hatches into Manaphy. It opens its eyes, looking deep into James' eyes. It starts crying.)

James: (soothing Manaphy, talking like a parent to a baby) "It's okay, it's okay... you don't have to cry..."

Link: "... This is disturbing. I've seen James crying before and being sesitive... but this is a bit much. James acting like a responsible parent? Impossible."

"If I wasn't holding a very impressionable baby pokemon, I'd do some really horrible things to you right now. But I am, so I can't."

Link: "... He's passing up a chance to get meaningless revenge? Da-" (gets smacked over the head)

"No swearing! Shadow, can you intro the Fic? I have to give this little guy its first meal."

Shadow: (with a raised eyebrow) "... Hm. As James would say, onto the Fic!"

* * *

_Quote for this chapter:_

_"All that hard work is useless, if you don't believe in yourself!"-Might Gai_

* * *

Naruto grinned as he walked into the Chunin Exams registration building. He and his team was going in with Kakashi's team of Sasuke, Fiona, and Sakura. All in all, the teams were confident. 

"Excuse me, are you... Uchiha Sasuke?" Sasuke turned to look at the voice that had asked his name. However, he wasn't expecting what he saw.

* * *

_Lotus vs The Schemer!_

* * *

There was a boy about one year older than them, wearing a fishnet shirt under a blue short-sleeved jacket and green khakis with orange leg-warmers. His kunai pouch was wrapped arond his right leg, and a forehead protector was bound around his waist like a belt. His eyebrows were thick and fuzzy, and his hair was done in bowl cut. 

"... That would be me," Sasuke said after a small bit of hesitation. Who was this wierdo?

"I am Rock Lee, the best genin of last year's rookies. I would like to fight you, to test my skill."

"This kid... I sense that he has some skill..." Zexion said.

'Skill?'

"Yes. Naruto... would you mind fighting him using my powers?"

'huh?'

"I think... he might make a good addition to my arsenal..." Zexion said enigmatically. Naruto mentaly sighed.

"Hey, bushy-brow. How about you have a warmup match against me, first? I'd like to think that I'm no pushover, and Sasuke and I spar every so often. If you can beat me, you can probably beat him."

Lee seemed to consider this for a moment. "...Okay. But first... Sakura... Will you be my girlfriend?"

Sakura's eyes bulged, and her jaw dropped. "W-w-what?"

"If you do, I promise to protect you with my life!"

"Uh..." Sakura's eyebrow twitched. 'His eyebrows... they're like catipillars!' **"SHANNARO! NO WAY!"** "... I'm sorry, but no..." She said at last, trying to let him off easy. Lee sighed, but then lightened up.

"Okay, then... what's your name?"

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to be Hokage someday, dattebyo!"

"... I doubt that." Naruto searched to see the source of the new voice. Hyuuga Neji leaned against the wall, watching the events. Naruto twitched in annoyance. He'd seen this guy around, and he already knew that he didn't like him. Especially with how he acted around Hinata. The clan in general treated her a bit like a borderline outcast, believing her to be the failure of the Hyuuga clan (save for her father, who seemed to be kinder to her than the others, though he made her work hard), but Neji took it to a whole new level.

Neji shot his cousin a withering look, which made her recoil. Naruto narrowed his eyes, but chose to ignore that offense. Instead, he turned back to Lee. Surprisingly, Lee also seemed annoyed at his teamate. The green-clad boy took a fighting stance.

"Alright, Lee..." He called upon Zexion, and felt himself change and be flooded with power, yet siphon excess energy away. He grinned as his hair grew and covered one of his eyes and aquired silver strands. He smiled, pulling out a... Book? "Time to see what power you hold..." The first thing that happened shocked all. Naruto moved to and _through_ Lee, disapearing and reappearing back where he stood previously, as though nothing had happened. However, Naruto's book disappeared. "How interesting... only taijustu... but... then again... yes, very intriguing..." Naruto then activated Zexion's most effective power.

Lee found himself facing not Naruto, but his rival, Neji. Naruto, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall where Neji had been.

"You cannot hope to win. A failure is but a failure," Naruto quoted from Lee's memories of Neji. Hinata stared at her friend. That phrase... it was nothing like what he usually said. He'd never...

"Neji!" Everyone focused on Lee, who was rushing at Naruto, who had taken, strangely, the fighting style of the Hyuuga, Gentle Fist. Naruto dodged the attack, striking at (and miraculously actually hitting) one of Lee's chakra points. Neji stared. How did that whelp...?

"You don't get it, do you, Lee? You were a failure at the Academy. You are a failure now. And you always will be a failure." Lee launched again, trying and failing to hit. Neji noted that the ninja was moving slower than he knew he could go. Naruto continued to taunt his opponent with every move he made.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. What was happening? There had to be more to Naruto's transformation than met the eyes... He activated his Sharingan. 'No... There's still no difference. He doesn't have Lee in a genjustu, or anything... Or at least not one that can be seen by my Sharingan...' Naruto launched Lee to the ground, and the boy couldn't get back up. Naruto flickered slightly as he walked up to Lee, and the older boy gasped.

"H-huh? Where... Where'd Neji go? What..." Naruto wordlessly helped Lee up and brought him to Neji.

"I believe he is part of your team, he'll be okay shortly... oh, and by the by... you're wrong about fate..." He walked back to his team, transforming back to his normal form.

* * *

Hinata looked at her friend after they had signed up for the Exams. "Naruto..." 

"Yeah?"

"Did you really... mean what you said?"

"Hm?"

"About, you know... anout a failure always being a failure?"

"Oh, that? No, I didn't mean that. I just needed to fit the role I played." Naruto grinned reassuringly as they started walking to the room where the first exam would be taken.

"And that would be?" Llednar looked at Naruto.

"At the begining of the match, I delved into Lee's memories, and from them I trapped him his own heart. He believed I was Hyuuga Neji because I had taken his form. I added to the effect by acting as Neji would. I even took Neji's knowledge of Gentle Fist, or at least what Lee had seen of it."

"So... you can use Gentle Fist now?"

"No, only a pale imitation, and only while I use the power I used back there."

"Well, it sounds like you had an interesting experience." Riku appeared next to them.

"Riku-sensei, what are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on you. I didn't really have anything else to do. Now guys... Be careful. Even if it means you can't make Chunin, make sure you guys come back from all this alive and well. Got it?" The three Genin nodded. "Good..." He looked at the three of them in turn. "Naruto, Hinata, Llednar... Good luck." He stepped aside, letting them pass into the Chunin Exams...

* * *

Naruto grinned. These questions... the whole test was a stupid little trick! Their instructor had given them all insanely difficult questions, and for every incorrect answer, they lost a point from their total of 10. However, the part that just didn't make sense was what they did if you were caught cheating. Only two points were taken, when they should have just ripped up the tests right there! From there, it became easy for Naruto, with Vexen and Zexion's help, to figure out the true meaning of the test: to gather information. 

It only helped that he had six ex-scientists with intricate knowledge of theorectical physics and a Nobody who still had small recollections of her time as a ninja sealed inside him.

He completed the last question, and the proctors weren't the wiser.

Hinata had used Byakugan in addition to her own knowledge to find the answers, and Llednar had simply answered the questions to the best of his knowledge, which meant a good number of the questions were correct. Now, all three were waiting a good distance from each other for the last question.

"Now, before I give you the last question, I am going to add a few more rules for this particular question... Rule number one, you can choose not to take this particular question. However... If you do, you and your team fail." Instantly, there were murmurs. "QUIET! Now, rule number two. If you take the question and miss it, you not only fail... but you will be barred from future Chunin Exams." Once again, Ibiki's statement had stirred up a response, amoung which were:

"What?"

"No way!"

"This is an outrage!"

"You can't make up a rule like that!"

Ibiki sneered. "I can, and I have. If you have a problem with that, leave, now." One by one, teams were lead out of the room. Naruto growled, and Ibiki looked at the boy. "Hm? Something to say, kid?"

"Yeah... Yeah, I do! I don't care what kind of stupid rules you throw at me! Anyone who can't handle the pressure should just get out! They don't deserve to be ninja, dattebayo!"

Hinata gaped at her friend, who stood on the desk he had been sitting at. Llednar shook his head, although the shadow of an approving smile was on his face. Sasuke smirked. After a few minutes of locking eyes with the brat, Ibiki glanced at the room. Not a soul moved. He smirked.

"Well... It seems I have no choice... Now, listen closely..." Everyone in the room focused on their instructor. "You passed the final question, and therefore pass the first round of the Chunin Exam!"

* * *

Riku looked up from his book as the Chunin wannabes were walking out of the building and saw... well... a really beautiful woman. She had short purple hair done in an odd ponytail. She wore a fishnet shirt that would have left her very embarassed if not for the trenchcoat she wore over it, and a skirt. Riku though for a moment. 

_"Don't bury that dream just yet. You're not dead yet. You still might meet someone..." So said the blondie so like his old friend, and yet so not..._

He beckoned her.

"Well, who might you be?" He asked. She called herself Anko, and he started up a conversation with her...

* * *

"That Naruto kid... He's an interesting guy," Ibiki said over a hot cup of tea to the man sitting across from him and his... guest. "You taught him well, Riku." The Keybearer took a sip of juice. 

"Naruto became like that on his own, without my help. Living like he does... I'm surprised that he became so confident, with how his life was up to when I met him... However, he does have a weak point..."

"Hm?" Ibiki spared a glance into Riku's eyes, hoping to reap some information from him. Anko raised an eyebrow.

"He's afraid of the power he holds. He lost control once, when one of his teamates was hurt, and left devestating results. When he regained control, he saw what he had done and fell into despair... He believed that his teamates would fear him, and drift away. We proved him wrong, but he still fears that, deep down, what the traitor, Mizuki, had said to him was true..." Riku finished, sighing. Anko frowned, knowing, at least partially, what the child was going through. She feared the power she had been given, too. She clutched at the back of her neck.

"He fears that he is the demon?"

"Yes... It's sad. I want to help, but I have no knowledge of how to help him gain more control over the foxes' chakra..."

"There are some people who might know how."

"Who?" Riku stod up, slamming his palms on the table in front of him.

"Have you heard of the legendary Sannin?"

"Yes."

"Two of them have intricate knowledge of seals, and may be able to help. However... Orochimaru, the first, is a traitor, and is who knows where." Anko grimaced at the name. "The other, Jiraiya, is a hermit, and travels about and could be anywhere. I believe, though that there is a rumoured sighting of him."

"Where?"

"Right here, in Konoha..." Riku, Anko, and Ibiki talked, not noticing the shadow that watched from just out of sight...

* * *

It was early morning. Quiet... peaceful... Until a certain someone showed up at the bathhouse. 

"Oh... Ohohohoho!" A red clad old man with facepaint and long white hair smiled as he peered through his telescope. "Oh, baby!"

"Hey, aren't you the writer of the Icha Icha series?" Jiraiya spun on his heel to face the one who had discovered him. The Jounin bowed slightly. "Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, Sannin, and Super Pervert. Allow me to introduce myself... My name is Riku."

"Are you here on the Hokage's orders?" Jiraiya whispered, not at all wishing to be caught by the women he was spying on.

"No, not at all. I came on personal business. You see, Jiraiya, I am the Sensei of a certain someone, and I need, more than anything, to teach this someone to control the demonic power that is inside him..."

"Ah... The Kyuubi's jailor."

"Yes. The boy fears the power he wields, and I wish to remedy that. However, I myself hold no talent for seals or their usage. Therefore, I seek your aid. After all, you taught the one who sealed Kyuubi away..."

Jiraiya sighed, not liking where this was going... "Give me the details..."

* * *

_"Orochimaru... Team Hokage... Sannin... The cursed seal... AGHHHHHH!"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: The Forest of Death! Larxene's Forgotten Pain!**_

_"Elrena, Orochiamru's Savage Nymph..."_

* * *

Shadow: "This... is disturbing." 

(James is wearing an apron and rocking Manaphy to sleep) "Rock-a-bye Manaphy on the tree top..."

Link: "You said it."

"When the wind blows, the cradle will rock..."

Sora: "I'm scared. Kairi, hold me..." (SMACK!) "Ow."

"When the bow breaks the cradle will fall..."

Naruto: (Aghast)

"And I will catch Manaphy, cradle and all..."

Everyone: (Sweatdrop)

Voldemort: "This is madness."

"Madness?"

Voldemort: "Here we go."

(Whispering) "This. Is. Parenthood!"

Harry: "Idiot... Well... Next chapter is the Orochimaru encounter. Feel free to comment, as always, but, since we're getting into Fall, James won't have quite as much time to update... luckily for those who do not enjoy his fiction."

"If I wasn't busy with Manaphy and other details... But I am." (Sighs) "A mother's work is never done..." (goes off, humming "Rock-a-bye Manaphy")

Link: "Uh... Eh. Oh, by the by, Lee's new outfit was the wonderful work of goddesstears on DeviantART. Goddesstears knows of James' usage of this design and approves."


	17. The Forest of Death!

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

"My strength has returned..."

Voldemort: "Whatever he means, I don't like it."

"My laptop is nice, but it had but one flaw: a lack of Microsoft Word. I just fixed that problem. Behold the wonder of spell check!"

Manaphy: "Spell check! Cute!"

"Yes, Manaphy, spell check is cute!"

Kairi: "Yeeeeaaaaaah... It seems that the more powerful he becomes, the more insane he gets."

Harry: "The horror!"

"Now, in celebration, I give you, the next chapter!"

* * *

_Short Omake: Live from the Forest of Death!_

"This is James, live from the world of XIII Ninja!" James said. "I'm just outside the Forest of Death, where Naruto and his friends are eagerly awaiting the proctor of the second part of the Chunin Exams to explain what it is they will be doing. I'm here to interview them and…" Suddenly, James was blown away by an explosion, back to the real world.

* * *

_The Forest of Death! Larxene's Forgotten Pain!_

* * *

Naruto and his friends stared at the smoke cloud that had appeared out of nowhere. They were certain that they had heard a voice there a few seconds ago… They shrugged as Mitarashi Anko stepped out of the cloud.

"Must've been our imagination," Hinata muttered, although something seemed a bit… off… about the feral grin on Anko's face, as though she had done something she knew she would pay for later, but currently didn't care…

And she was certain that she heard her mutter, "Serves him right for coming to this world…" She coughed. "Okay, here's what's going to happen! You grunts are going to take a field trip to the Forest of Death. For five days you will be living in this place, all the while trying to collect…" She pulled out two scrolls. "One each of these: a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll."

"That doesn't sound too tough…" Naruto gave a smirk. "We can do this, right, guys?" Hinata and Llednar nodded.

Anko explained the rules of the scroll hunt, gave them consent forms, and left them to their own devices. She watched Naruto in particular, who was currently looking through his stuff to make sure he was ready. 'This kid really is a strange one. To think, he's Riku's student, the Naruto who Ibiki praised so well… and the one who fears his power so much…" She rubbed the back of her neck, which had recently started itching. The irritation began as soon as she walked on the premises. Why was that? She glanced about, but Orochimaru was nowhere to be found…

* * *

"So… What brings you back here, Jiraiya?" Riku asked, leaning on the railing. "And don't say that its research for your book. I know you have a good reason…" Jiraiya leaned next to him, still looking through his telescope. However, the look on his face was anything but lecherous.

"… Tell me, Riku… Do you know anything about a group called Akatsuki?"

"Well, no. Should I?" Jiraiya sighed at the response.

"You see… They're a group of all S-Class Missing-Nin. One of the members in fact, is a man by the name of Uchiha Itachi."

"Ah, the traitor."

"Yes. It seems they're searching for certain things. Among them are the Jinchuriki."

"The what?"

"They are the hosts of Tailed Demons. I came because I wanted to give the Hokage a warning about them possibly coming here to get him."

"I see." Riku shook his head. "Naruto is currently taking the second part of the Chunin Exams. He intends to become Hokage someday…"

"Well… How about I help him toward that goal?"

"Eh?"

"Hey, I'm already going to help him control his chakra. I might as well teach him a few of my techniques. It would give you more time to teach your other students, and he'll be ready to face any Akatsuki members he comes across." Riku hesistated. Jiraiya may be one of the Sannin, but Riku was the Keybearer. Who was more suited to teach Naruto, who was both a ninja of Konoha and a bearer of Organization XIII, who have long been associated with the Keyblade Masters? After a good fifteen minutes of thinking, he came to a conclusion... Naruto would hate him for it, but... This was what was best.

"… Fine… But, there are a few things I'll have to teach you about him…"

* * *

Team 10 was searching for a ninja with an Earth Scroll, making a plan as they did. The idea was that, since Naruto's Portal of Darkness could travel to anywhere Naruto had seen, they would first go to the tower, find a suitable place to warp to after collecting an Earth Scroll, and then go hunting. Suddenly, Hinata stopped dead in her tracks.

"What?" Llednar asked.

"I see an Earth scroll…"

"Where?"

"A ninja is up ahead… and he…" Hinata made an almost disgusted sound. "He ate the scroll! I see it inside his stomach!" Hinata exclaimed, trying not to gag at the thought.

"Eww…" Naruto muttered. "Well, let's just make him cough it up then!" Hinata nodded, and the trio went of in the direction the Ninja was.

* * *

Anko and Riku rushed through the forest, searching for Orochimaru, whom they had just found out was in the forest. Riku looked at Anko.

"Hey… I can sense a very powerful dark energy that way… I'll bet that's Orochimaru… What the?" He stopped, almost losing his balance on the branch he landed on.

"What's up?"

"… I sense… I sense three other people heading straight for him… Oh no. It's… It's my team." He suddenly bolted, moving at twice his usual speed. "Damnit! They're engaing him!"

* * *

Llednar struck first, swinging his sword to decapitate his new opponent. The ninja dodged. Llednar smiled.

"I know you have the scroll of earth we need in your stomach. Give it or we'll take it." The foe started to run, but Naruto used a power he had recently learned from Organization XIII, creating an invisible but invincible wall around the area. The ninja looked at the brown-clad boy.

"You… You're Uzumaki Naruto, aren't you?

"Yeah, that would be me. How do you know? Have I kicked your butt before?"

"Oh, no… Nothing like that. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Orochimaru…"

"Orochimaru? Isn't that the name of a cereal?" Axel asked. Larxene, however, shook her head, as if there was something on the edge of her memory that she couldn't quite remember…

"Now then… You two… If I'm correct, you are of the Hyuuga Clan, little girl. Obviously of the Main Branch, judging by your forehead." Hinata narrowed her eyes. "And you… You wear the clothing of the Twem Clan's Heir."

"So nice of you to have noticed. However… That doesn't excuse you from being beaten to a pulp unless you give me your scroll."

"Heheh… How determined you are… What are your names?"

"I'm Twem Llednar, and this is Hyuuga Hinata." Llednar gave a dismissive wave.

"Well… Llednar, Hinata, Naruto… How would you three like to join me? We could do wonderful things as a team…"

* * *

Riku swore as he watched the confrontation from just beyond the wall and out of sight. They wouldn't dream of joining Orochimaru, would they? Anko narrowed her eyes as the back of her neck burned painfully. 

* * *

"Think about it…" Orochimaru said as he ducked a blow by Llednar.

"Nah. I already hold a few allegiances, like to my clan, my team, and my village. Nope, no need for another one. Three is more than enough."

"Fine, then I have no need for us to speak any further…" Orochimaru moved so fast that almost no one could see it. Llednar suddenly was knocked into the air.

"Damn… I guess… It's now or never! _Katsuha (Ripwave)_!" He threw his sword at Orochimaru, forcing chakra into it as he did. The weapon glowed and gave off a large amount of energy. However, it moved slowly, and Orochimaru was able to dodge and strike Llednar down, sending him to the forest floor several yards below. "AH!" Hinata heard a crash below her as she rushed Orochimaru, landing several Gentle Fist strikes on him, focusing on damaging the stomach most. Finally, the strange man with the long hair coughed up what she wanted, but the scroll fell down to the depths of the forest.

"Well… How about you, little girl? You are quite impressive, yet… I've heard of your issues within your family… Failure, they call you… Worthless… Weak… But I see differently." Hinata stared at the man before her, and stepped back, feeling a sense of foreboding. "To be able to strike me as you've done… Yes… I do not see a failure… You hold no weakness… And you could be a very useful and valuable asset… Join me, and together, we can prove them wrong… Together, we would be invincible…" Hinata wanted to speak, wanted to protest, wanted to fight, but looking into those eyes… He looked like he was sincere, even though something felt off… He rose his hand to grab her wrist, but was stopped by Naruto throwing a shuriken at him. He looked at Naruto. "And you… You're the most unfortunate of them all… Your village… The place you call home… And for all your life, you were hated by almost everyone. I heard that just a while ago, someone even had the gall to try and take your life… It's horrible, isn't it? However… If you were to join me, that would not happen anymore… You would live with others who have been ridiculed… And someday, we will be able to show this village what a mistake it was to make you an outcast…"

"Shut up! _Kage Bunshin no Justu_!" A swarm of Narutos appeared, and the army charged as one. However, it was no use. Orochimaru simply launched his tongue out and wrapped a Naruto clone around the legs and used it as a flail to smash into the other clones.

"Damnit…" Naruto muttered. 'Hey, somebody… Could you help out?" Xemnas nodded.

"This man… He seems to be strong… I'll fight him." Suddenly Naruto glowed, and his hair grew longer, gaining silver strands as it reached shoulder length. His eyes became yellow, and the whisker marks grew thicker. Naruto started to float, and two beams of red energy came from his hands.

* * *

Riku narrowed his eyes. 'Naruto must be desperate if he's using Xemnas… Damnit… Put down the wall so we can help!' 

* * *

Naruto flew though the air, sending several red beams at Orochimaru, and the snake man dodged them easily, to Naruto's surprise. Orochimaru sent a fireball at Naruto, who dodged into a portal of darkness and appeared behind Orochimaru then swiped with his hand beam at him. Orochimaru moved around Naruto, knocking him back.

"What an interesting power you have…" Orochimaru said. 'This child… Yes… If I can take him… His powers would be useful… And even if he won't join me… the seal will at least make it easier for me to give him to Akatsuki… Yes… Yes…' He then dodged a wave of dark tendrils that came from Naruto's hand, smiling. "Naruto… Someday, I am certain you will want power, and you will realize that here is not where you can attain your full potential. When you do…" He suddenly extended his neck.

* * *

Anko gasped, and Riku stared. 

* * *

Orochimaru sunk his teeth into Naruto's neck, and a seal formed upon the back of it. "Seek me out. We can learn much from each other…" Orochimaru said as his neck came back to its place on his shoulders. Naruto, in shock from the attack, returned to normal. He glared at Orochimaru, but felt a tingling on the back of his neck.

At the same time, Larxene fell to her knees, trembling, clutching the back of her neck as the occurrence sent memories flooding back to her…

* * *

_A little girl, five years old, sat, sobbing in front of what had, until a few hours ago, been her home. The other houses were just like her own, ruins and monuments to the destructive power of the Kyuubi. She could see corpses of her neighbors, people she had passed on the street, and Lightning Ninja that had come to try and stop the monster. The girl sniffed again, finding that she had run out of tears. She got up, searching for any living people who might be able to guide her to refuge. After a while, she heard a voice, and ran to the source. She saw a group of travelers who had just come into the front gate of her little village. One was a loud child about 14, and therefore the source of the voice she had heard, and had white hair and face paint. He was speaking to a blond girl about his age, who was obviously trying to ignore him. There was a man with them, a black haired man who was an adult. He was pleasantly amused at the antics of these two. However, it was the last member of the group that interested her. He looked noble, and he had neat black hair down to his shoulders. His face was pale and his eyes were yellow. She walked up to the boy._

"_W-Who are you?_

_"Me? I'm Orochimaru. You are?"_

_The girl thought for a moment. "… Elrena. I'm Elrena." The man noticed her appearance and addressed her._

"_What happened here?" Elrena trembled, all at once remembering what had happened_

"_A big m-monster c-came... A fox... Nine t-tails... and M-Mom and D-Dad, they..." The man could tell what had happened._

"_The Kyuubi was here? We better get out of this place, just in case it comes back, Sarutobi-sensei," The white haired boy said, obviously freaked out by what he had heard._

_"What about her?" The blond girl asked. _

_The adult thought for a moment. "She has nothing left here. We'll take her back to Konoha." Elrena ran up to her savior and hugged him._

_"T-Thank you..."_

* * *

_Several years passed, and it was proven that Elrena was a spectacular Ninja, working as Orochimaru's student and specializing in Lightning Style Justus. However, there were rumors that ran along the same lines as the ones about her sensei. She was said to carry out… less than noble missions under the command of her teacher. It was said that these involved her capturing people for Orochimaru's rumored experiments._

_Of course, this was all speculation… Or so they say._

_In truth, Orochimaru had never been completely right, but he started these rumored experiments after meeting a man in armor who gave him advice and told him of the power of darkness… 19 year old Elrena knew this, yet she still worked for her teacher, one of the ones who saved her… And this was why she walked into Orochimaru's main lab at his summons._

"_Yes?"_

"_Elrena… You have been a very loyal servant all these years… I thank you… However… I'm afraid that nothing can last forever… Elrena, I am slowly, but surely growing old… That is why… That is why I need your assistance one more time…"_

"_Who would you have me capture, Orochimaru-sensei?"_

"_..." Orochimaru did not respond and Elrena noted that all the exits had sealed, including the one she had just come through. Her eyes widened as Orochimaru's neck extended, and she felt a pain in her own neck as Orochimaru bit it. His neck returned to normal length, but Elrena felt a tingling sensation in her neck, which quickly evolved into pain._

_Horrible, horrible pain._

"_AHHHHHHH!"_

"_This is a seal that I have been trying to develop. You should feel proud. After all, you are the first to have ever taken it. Of course, this means I have no idea what will happen to you…"_

"_I know," Said a voice from behind Orochimaru. Stepping into the light was an armored man. His age was indeterminable, but he sounded young. "You pushed too much darkness into it. As we speak, the darkness is overwhelming her heart… She will fade away, and become a creature of darkness. How pitiable…"_

"_O-Orochimaru…"_

"_Yes?" The man asked as if asking the time._

"_W-Why are you doing this?"_

"_For power." The man smiled as he spoke._

"_F-For power? I thought I gave you enough of that already, Orochimaru!" Elrena cried out as pillars of darkness burst out around her, ripping her spirit apart._

"_How sad… It seems that you won't make it… and you were such a nice toy, Elrena… My Savage Nymph…"_

_"Orochimaru!" Was all she had time to cry before the darkness enveloped her._

* * *

_Darkness. It was everywhere. She had no idea how long she was trapped there… She remembered no longer how she had gotten there… She knew nothing of how to escape there… All she knew was that she was there. That and a name on the verge of being forgotten._

_Elrena, the Savage Nymph of… where? Or what?_

"_Now… What is this?" The woman noticed another presence. A man stood before her prone, floating body. "You… Who are you?"_

"_I'm… I don't know… The only name I can remember is… Elrena, the Savage Nymph…"_

_"I see… You are like me… Therefore, I must give you a name befitting of that. From now on, you are Number XII. Larxene, the Savage Nymph. Now, rise…" Larxene suddenly found herself able to stand, and followed the man to freedom… _

* * *

Larxene cried out in pain as the Cursed Seal of Heaven appeared on the back of her neck. Against her will, she lost consciousness… And dreamt of the begining. 

* * *

At the same time, Naruto fell, although Hinata caught him.

"AGHHHH! NNNGGGRRHHHHH! GGGHHHHHHRRRAAAAAAAGHHH!" Naruto thrashed about in her arms as the seal appeared. However, unexpectedly, he got up, glaring at Orochimaru as he summoned his claws. "RRRRAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!" He rushed at Orochimaru, who dodged and knocked Naruto into a tree, rendering him unconscious.

"Naruto!" Hinata called out as the walls came down. Orochimaru looked at the girl, extending his neck once more. However, a kunai stopped him as Anko landed near Naruto and Riku appeared beside Hinata.

"Hm… I guess I'll take my leave now… But take heed… If you do anything to stop the Chunin Exams… It WILL mean the destruction of Konoha..." Laughing, Orochimaru disappeared. Anko came to Riku, holding Naruto.

"Damn… He's something else. Not many people would be able to keep fighting after taking the cursed seal…" She said, growling. "What was he thinking?"

"Orochimaru had a scroll… We thought he was just another ninja… But, from what I can see, he wasn't."

"… I see… It's alright… What should we do, Riku?"

"I've no clue. What can we do for Naruto?"

"… Nothing… There's… well… There's a one in ten chance he will make it. Nine times out of ten… he'll die." Hinata's eyes widened.

"No… He… Naruto…" She stared at the boy.

"We should tell the Hokage… Warn him about what's going on…" Riku said after much hesitation.

"… Yeah…" Anko responded. "Listen, Hinata, was it? Take good care of your team. Make sure that other guy, Llednar, is still alive.

"That won't be necessary." Llednar replied as he landed on a branch nearby. "I just took some extra time getting back up. I wouldn't want all our hard work to go to waste, after all." He revealed a Scroll of Earth. It was slimy with Orochimaru's saliva and partially digested near the bottom edge, but it was still intact. "Especially with all the trouble we had. By the way… You might want to check with the other teams. After all, I'm certain this man didn't just decide to eat the scroll whole on a whim. After all, if I wanted to eat a scroll for no reason, I'd chew it up first. He must not have wanted someone to have it…" Llednar pocketed the scroll and accepted Naruto from Anko. "We'll take care of Naruto. You do your jobs, and we'll do ours."

* * *

"_Monster!"_

"_Demon!"_

"_Stay away from it!"_

"_No… I'm… I'm not a monster…"_

_"If only you could prove yourself… If only you had more power, then you'd be a sure-win for Hokage, and everyone would have to look up to you… Why? Why don't you get more power?"_

"_Hinata! No… Don't die on me…"_

_"If you had more power… Things like this wouldn't happen… You could be unstoppable… And I would have had an unstoppable wall to be safe behind…"_

"_Hinata…" _

* * *

Hinata noticed Naruto move, and her heart skipped a beat. He was okay! The boy woke up in a cold sweat, and Llednar gave an I-told-ya-so smirk. Hinata helped him up, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Where… Where am I?"

Hinata smiled at her friend. "We're still in the Forest of Death. We got an Earth Scroll. We're good to go. Do ya think you can open a portal of darkness?"

"…Yeah. I can do that." Naruto grinned and opened a portal. The walked in, and found themselves just outside the tower. They walked in…

Anko and Riku simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief as Naruto, Hinata, and Llednar were led into the main room by Iruka. Naruto grinned as he spoke with Iruka. Anko glanced at Riku.

"Heh, I'm actually surprised. I mean, Naruto must be a very quick healer if they got here on foot…"

"They didn't. I'm pretty sure they used one of Naruto's Portals of Darkness to get here…"

"Portals of Darkness?"

"Yeah. If Naruto's seen a place, they can go there instantly. Naruto used it to beat me to the training area first time we met."

"Sounds useful."

"Yeah. If he visits every part of this world, he can go anywhere in the blink of the eye… Very nice for trips."

"Shouldn't we handle his seal?"

"Do you know how to do it? Because I don't… right now, there are only a handful of people who can seal that seal that I know of and can call up. One's trapped in the nightmare of paperwork, one's an uber-pervert and is who-knows-where, and one is Kakashi." Riku said the last one as if his name was all the excuse in the world for not being accessible.

"… Good point."

And so the days passed, until finally the final part of the Chunin exams began. Or rather, the prelims…

* * *

"_WHAT! THERE'S PRELIMS?"_

"_Calm down, Naruto…"_

_**Prelims Headlines, Read All about It! Sasuke has trouble, Hyuuga Heir faces Dancing Wind, and Puppet Master takes on Brain Boy!**_

"_I just hope they get to my match soon…"_

* * *

"Yay! I finally made it to the prelims! This is one of the first points where I'm making big changes. Almost all the battles are changed up. Sasuke's battle is the same, but Hinata and Kankuro are facing totally different opponents, for example. Oh, the drama!"

Manaphy: "Drama! Drama! Phy!"

"I've been waiting for this arc since I started this story."

Shadow: "Good for you…"

"Well, I'll see you then."

CUT!

"…Now, where is Anko? I have a thing or two to say to her…"

Shadow: "You know, we're still on."

"Wait, what about that 'CUT!' thing?"

Shadow: "You're still writing."

"… Oh. Ok. See ya later folks!"


	18. Prelims Headlines, Read all about It!

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Naruto Copyright Kishimoto and Shonen Jump

Kingdom Hearts Copyright Square Enix and Disney

Soul Calibur Copyright Namco

"Finally! This is what you've waited for!"

Kairi: "Me and Sora's triumphant return from the dead?"

"What you've pleaded for!"

Holly: "NarutoxSasuke, RikuxSora, and HarryxDraco?"

"Possibly the coolest thing in this story!"

Harry: "Your death?"

"You've sent suggestion after suggestion for it!"

Jiraiya: "A hot chick, a bottle of sake, and no kids around?"

"… No, Jiraiya. Just… no."

Riku: "MexAnko?"

"Maybe… But that's not why we're here."

Naruto: "Just spill it already!"

"… The Chunin Exams: Prelims."

Audience: (Cheers and applause)

"I won't waste your time. On to the Fic!"

* * *

"Hello again! We're coming to you live from the Chunin Exams. This is your Steadfast Reporter, James Thox here!" The Author-in-disguise grinned at the Fourth Wall, a slight chuckle escaping from his lips at the alias. "The rules of the third part of the exam are currently being explained, as well as a very interesting occurrence. There seems to be the need for prelims, and-"

Suddenly, an explosion occurred, sending the author through the fourth wall from whence he came. Anko shook her head as she came out of the smoke.

"Idiot…"

* * *

_Prelims Headlines, Read All About It! Sasuke has Trouble, Hyuuga Heir faces Dancing Wind, and Puppet Master takes on Brain Boy!_

* * *

Riku watched from afar as the genin talked among themselves. From his vantage point, he could see all the ninja. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the back of Naruto's neck.

"The curse seal… Damnit, Jiraiya. Where the hell are you?"

He continued to scan the area, trying to find any other team that looked as though Orochimaru had visited them in the forest. He was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw the Uchiha boy. On the back of his neck, in the exact same location as Naruto's, the curse mark rested, as though taunting Riku.

"Damnit…"

"So you noticed it as well?" Riku looked to his right, eying Kakashi.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"I have a sealing technique that can stop the curse seal, but I can't do it now. There's no time."

"After Naruto and Sasuke have their matches?"

"Yes."

"… Gotcha. In the meantime, I'll talk to Naruto about trying not to call the curse seal."

"I've already told Sasuke." Kakashi turned around. "It seems that, for once, I'm not the most tardy in important appointments…" He walked away, eyeing the display in a corner of the room they were in. It was currently in the process of choosing the first two ninja to fight. Finally, it stopped on Uchiha Sasuke and Akado Yoroi. The two ninja walked to the center of the stage, while the other genin went to the second floor to watch the match.

The proctor, Gekko Hayate, coughed as he raised his hand. "Ready… Begin!" He jumped away as the two ninja stood off. Sasuke made the first move, rushing at his opponent. Yoroi dodged and struck the Uchiha Heir in the back, his hands pulsing with unseen chakra. However, it showed no effect, and the battle continued, Yoroi landing many light blows on Sasuke, until everyone suddenly realized what was happening.

"You… You're stealing my chakra..." Sasuke grunted. "The longer this fight takes, the weaker I become… This has to end… NOW!" Sasuke roared, activating the Sharingan and disappearing. He had seen, albeit barely, a technique that boy, Rock Lee, had used back in the Forest, and though he hadn't copied the whole thing, he had the beginning, and that was enough. _"Kage Buyo…" _He called as he knocked his opponent into the air and appeared behind and below him.

"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf…" Yoroi said as his eyes widened.

"Yeah… But from here… it's all original!" Sasuke reached out with his right hand, simultaneously turning his opponent facedown while moving above him. He then kicked the ninja in the back of the head, using the momentum to push himself up into the air, ricocheting off the ceiling back towards the medical nin. He kicked again, in the same place, but much harder, pushing both towards the ground. Sasuke jumped off at the last moment, smiling as he announced his new technique: _"Takedakeshi Shishi Rendan. (Ferocious Lion Combo)"_

"Whoa… That guy will be feeling that in the morning…" Naruto said, watching from the railings.

"No, he won't," Llednar replied from Naruto's right. "That man… I've been trained to know exactly how being hit in such and such an area will affect that area and the body in general. From what I know and what I've just seen… That man is dead. The first kick that sent him airborne was nothing, but the second kick hit the exact area where a person's spine enters the skull. That would have hurt, badly… But not enough force was in it to be fatal. The third kick, though… That hit in the exact same place as the second, and with a lot more force. If that didn't kill him, the impact with the ground, at that velocity, did. I'd call it a -100 chance of survival." He closed his eyes. "Unfortunate, especially since he WAS one of our village's ninja…" He muttered as Sasuke was led away by Kakashi. Sure enough, the medic-nin assigned to Akado checked his pulse and found none.

"Dang… I'll have to make sure Sasuke never tries that on me during spars…"

Hinata nodded as the Medic Nin carried the dead competitor away, keeping an eye on the figure in the audience near the Hokage. Her father had decided that he would watch this part of the exams, and, deep down, she feared what he might do should he observe a failure. She knew he cared about her, but… What if she lost? What would his opinion be of her then? Maybe he would become like the rest of the clan, thinking her worthless…

"_Join me, and we can prove them wrong…"_

Maybe… this man… Orochimaru… Maybe he was right… Maybe he could help her…

"Hey, Hinata! Hinata! Hiiiinaaaataaaa!" Naruto dragged the name out, shaking her out of her musings. She shook her head, clearing it of those thoughts. Her father was strict, but he wasn't like that… Was he? "Hinata?"

"… What is it, Naruto?" Hinata asked, her eyes becoming cold with hate in all directions:

To Orochimaru, for planting these thoughts in her head.

To herself, for actually thinking that they might be real.

And finally, to her clan, for hating her and calling her failure.

"… _Prove them wrong…"_

"Hinata, what're you DOING? It's your match!" Naruto yelled in her ear, causing her to jump. She looked at the screen and sure enough, there it was:

_**Hyuuga Hinata**_

_**Vs**_

_**Tamura Talim**_

Hinata jumped down to the arena. Her opponent, Talim, stood on the other side, looking unusually happy at this new development. Riku narrowed his eyes.

'She's… she's one of _his_ teammates…' Riku looked at the monstrous violet man, who looked back, a sickening smile on his face. 'Well, he certainly remembers me…'

"H-Hyuuga… Aren't you… T-The heir of the clan?" Talim suddenly asked, speaking the first words Hinata had heard from her. The voice was soft, and the child obviously hadn't been given many opportunities to speak her mind.

"… Yes." Hinata replied. What did this girl want with her? As the two stood off, Hinata began to have a strange, tingling sensation in the back of her head… Something was wrong…

"… Are you… Trapped by this?"

"Huh?" Hinata lowered her guard in confusion, knowing, somehow, that Talim wouldn't take advantage of it.

"Were you… Forced into that position? Are you… forced to live up to a standard?" The girl's voice was innocent, but the questions…

"No way!" Hinata objected instantly, but as soon as the words left her mouth, they sounded wrong, as though she was lying, even to herself. "I…"

"When you can't live up to what everyone expects… does their… respect for you vanish? Do they-"

"Shut up," Hinata cut the girl off, going into her Gentle Fist Stance and charging, Byakugan flaring. 'What is this?' She asked herself as she attacked the Sand Genin in the stomach, sending her flying. However, as she did so, Hinata felt a wind swirling around Talim, one that somehow swept the chakra in Hinata's attack away. The girl landed on her feet, a neutral look on her face, and drew her tonfa-like blades. 'What is it about her that is making me so… angry? Is it… These questions?' She attacked again, although Talim dodged, flowing behind Hinata almost like the wind itself.

"Do they call you… Failure?" The girl finished the question this time, even though Hinata landed a strike on her shoulder exactly afterwards.

"Shut up!" Hinata replied again, catapulting forward with a strike poised to directly strike the opponent's heart. However, Talim dodged again, not even making an attempt to fight back. "Why… Why do you ask me these questions? This is a battle!" Hinata growled at the girl, starting to become absolutely enraged at her.

"Y-You need to understand… You must realize… Before we can t-truly fight as equals…" Hinata rushed again, but Talim caught the attack this time, and as the two looked into each other's eyes, Hinata saw something…

* * *

"_Talim… as the only remaining child of the late head of the Tamura Clan, you have been chosen to be our next Head. As such-"_

"_But…"_

"_But nothing, Talim!"_

"_AH!"_

"_As such, you must master the art of our clan, the Wind Dance Taijustu, Kazeodori."_

"_But I-"_

"_Enough! I will hear no more protests from you! You will do as your lineage commands!"_

'_But I… Don't want… I don't want to… do this…'_

* * *

Hinata leaped back, eyes widened from shock. "You…" She stepped back.

"You understand…" The Talim, heir to the Tamura clan and the Wind Dance Justu, stepped into a flimsy version of her family's fighting stance. "… That's good."

'This girl… She… She and I…' Hinata clenched her teeth, 'She was forced to become the heir of her clan… Just like me… Does that mean… I… Could have been like her?' The girl she had seen throughout the exams, the quiet girl, with absolutely no talent in her own clan's technique… Just… Like… HER… Hinata struck again, this time landing a blow on Talim's arm. Talim dodged another blow aimed at her face and flipped backwards. She then flew forward with the grace of a dancer, striking Hinata with the side of her tonfa-blades. Hinata ducked and spun on her heel with an outstretched leg, intent on tripping her opponent up. Sure enough, she knocked the girl off her feet, but instead of falling like Hinata planned, the kunoichi seemed lifted by the wind that seemed to always swirl around her. Talim rolled in midair, righting herself before landing on the ground and kicking Hinata to the ground.

"You and I are similar… I can see it in your eyes… I respect that. However, I cannot permit myself to lose… I am sorry…"

"… Be quiet," Hinata growled, her face unseen under her disheveled hair. "It is I... I who cannot lose. Because..." She looked her opponent in the eyes, and Talim froze, fear in every inch of her body.

* * *

"_That was awesome, Hinata! You've almost got that technique down!" Naruto said as he got up, a contagious smile on his face despite the damage his teammate had dealt in her newest Justu. "Man, your dad is going to flip out when he sees the perfected version!" Hinata smiled and said nothing, knowing, deep down, that it wasn't her father or the rest of the clan she truly wanted to impress…_

* * *

"Because unlike you, I haven't given up on my dreams, despite the hardships I face." Hinata slid forward, getting below Talim, and thrust her palm upward, knocking the Wind-user upwards. Hinata jumped into the air, using chakra to propel herself as she spun faster and faster. She jabbed her hands skyward, propelling her chakra continuously through her fingers as they collided with her target. Hinata's spin was in the opposite direction of the swirl of the wind, and instead of spinning, the chakra moved straight up, hitting Talim's stomach in one harsh, continuous stream. After five seconds of this, Hinata called out the name of her technique as she sent a large pulse of chakra.

"_Chakra Shuuren! (Chakra Drill)"_

The pulse of chakra knocked Talim higher into the air, knocking her out as she hit the ceiling. Meanwhile, Hinata landed on the ground, smiling as she stood before the stunned the onlookers. Talim fell to the ground right before Hinata, unconscious. Hayate checked her, and raised his hand.

"Winner," He coughed. "Hyuuga Hinata." Naruto whooped as he jumped skyward.

"That was awesome!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up. Hinata blushed slightly, walking back up to him. As she did, she looked at Talim. The girl had a slight burn mark where the hit had landed, and, after being revived, was puking blood.

'… I'm sorry, Talim…'

* * *

Llednar was watching the bulletin intently, while Lee and Naruto were chorusing, "Let it be me, let it be me, let it be ME!" in identical determined poses. Suddenly, it chose the next two combatants:

**Twem-Previa Mid**

**Vs.**

**Sabaku no Kankuro**

"Mid… Hm. This might be interesting..." Llednar muttered.

"What's the deal with him anyway? I mean, he's smart, but I've never seen him fight," Naruto said. "And what's between him and you anyway?"

"Mid… Is my brother."

"WHAT?"

"As I've told you before, my clan doesn't judge by family. We sort our clan purely by what we determine to be the most suitable place for them. By blood, Mid and I are related. However, while I hold the potential to be main leader of our clan, Mid is… not so much. He has talent when it comes to scholarly pursuits, but has no natural talent as a ninja." Llednar sighed. "Not an ounce of talent in Taijustu, nor in Genjustu, and his Ninjustu was only barely enough to get him past the graduation exams."

"Then how'd he get here, then?" Naruto asked, staring at the white-coated boy with goggles covering his eyes. He now had a strange, almost metallic-looking backpack, as well as various other gadgets.

"… You might see…"

Mid walked up to Kankuro, stretching out a hand to greet the sand ninja with.

"It's is an honor to meet you. I get the feeling that this will be an interesting matchup." The boy used his other hand to adjust his goggles. Reluctantly, Kankuro shook hands with the younger boy.

"Ready… Begin!" Hayate stated before jumping back to give the battlers space. Mid pulled out one of his gadgets, what looked (to Riku, though no one else would recognize it as such) like a gun, only loaded with senbon needles.

"Target sighted," He muttered. He walked cautiously around, careful to make sure he wasn't walking into any attacks from the older ninja. At the same time, Kankuro stepped at the same pace, making sure he was always facing his opponent. After a moment, his goggles glinted green for less than an instant, and Mid grinned. "Target locked on." He pulled the trigger of his 'gun,' and three senbon fired out, hitting the bandaged mass on Kankuro's back.

"AGHH!" The mound shouted, falling to the floor and unwrapping. Underneath the bandages was another Kankuro. "But… How did you…"

"My goggles," Mid replied, a confident smile displayed. "When I adjusted them, I was actually pressing a button that allowed me to send a sort of wave from them, one that is invisible to normal eyes, but not to these goggles. These waves go though everything but chakra, and bounce back to me after hitting chakra. The waves went though the fake Kankuro, except for at the little strings you were using to control him. Meanwhile, it completely bounced off of you, telling me exactly what your plan was. After that, it was a simple matter of countering your plan." He shifted his goggles again. "Now, how about we stop hiding and have a real battle?" He put on a wrist-mounted cylinder with a kunai inserted inside.

"Alright then… Let's see how you like facing Karasu!" The skin and clothing of the fake chipped off at once, revealing a wooden puppet. Karasu's three arms extended out to wrap around Mid, only to be blocked by a barrier of Chakra. Mid smiled, his 'backpack' glowing blue with his chakra.

"Though he isn't exactly good with any basic ninja arts except for ninjustu and chakra control, his machines allow him to do everything a ninja can… and sometimes more." Llednar said, his eyes closed. "If things come down to who's got the better toys or brains, Mid will always win." Mid lifted his arm, twitching his wrist. The kunai-launcher mounted on his wrist fired, launching the weapon through the barrier and embedding itself deep in Karasu's chest. Mid smiled as he twitched his wrist again, causing a thin string attached to the kunai to pull it and Karasu back to Mid. As the puppet was dragged forwards, the barrier shifted, all the chakra moving to face the machine. The chakra then shifted into spikes and, as Kankuro watched in horror, Karasu was skewered on these.

"Hah! How'd you like that?" Mid asked, rubbing his nose.

"Pretty good, kid… Except that you've left yourself open!" Suddenly, Karasu's still-whole head detached itself from the rest of itself, flying around the barrier and revealing a needle dipped in poison as it flew towards Mid. Mid deactivated his chakra barrier and dodged the flying head. He fired several senbon at Kankuro, aiming for his hands. However, Kankuro used Karasu's battered and almost completely useless body to block the attack. Things continued like this for several minutes before Mid ran out of senbon.

"Looks like you're out of luck."

"Luck has nothing to do with anything. It's all about logic, and right now, it's logical for me to switch to heavy duty weapons." With these words Mid dodged another attack while pulling out another 'gun,' this time armed with a single kunai. Mid turned around, firing this at Karasu's head. The kunai connected, but did nothing to stop the attack.

"That was pretty stupid, kid!" Kankuro said.

"I'd like to think that it was actually very smart, especially considering what I attached to the kunai." Puzzled by these words, Kankuro took a closer look at the kunai, only to gasp as the small exploding tags attached to it detonated, destroying the head. Mid raised his shield to protect himself form the blast, and grinned at the fallen timber that had only recently been trying to kill him. Mid walked up to the obliterated head and lifted it. "Alas, poor Karasu. I knew him, Kankuro, I knew him." Mid then threw the burned timber behind him like garbage. "Now, where was I?" He loaded another kunai into his 'gun.' "Oh yeah… I hypothesize that I was winning this fight." He fired off another round at Kankuro, narrowly missing the puppet master.

However, the explosion sent the sand nin flying forward. He hit the ground hard, and got up, completely unarmed without his puppet.

"Damnit…"

"So, you going to quit, or do I have to take you down, too?" Mid asked, spinning his gun by the trigger and sheathing it.

"… Fine… I forfeit." Kankuro muttered after a small amount of hesitation. He collected his puppet and carried it with him as a medic ninja led him off to have his wounds treated. Mid walked calmly up the stairs to the second floor. As he headed towards his team, He passed Llednar, who gave an approving nod. Mid blushed at the praise of his sibling, and walked quickly to his team, where Kiba and Shino were waiting.

"Damnit, Mid, why'd you have to be so good? You're making other people's expectations of what we can do higher!" Kiba chided, though a grin was on his face as he said it. Shino nodded.

"Sorry, I kinda went overboard…" Meanwhile, everyone was awaiting the next match.

No one noticed the look that Gaara sent towards Naruto, full of bloodlust…

At the same time, Roxas had a strange feeling in the back of his head, telling him that someone was calling for help…

* * *

_"Hey, I sense a familiar presence inside this guy… It couldn't be… Namine?"_

_"Hey, Roxas, we've got other problems right now! This psycho…"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Prelims Headlines, Read All About It! Hinata Screams, The Rivals get Serious, Lee won't Quit, and Why is It Always Girls?**_

"I have to help Namine!"

* * *

"I think that last match was a little bit of overkill. Mid kinda reduced Karasu to firewood, after all… But I really liked Hinata's match. A new technique and character development for two characters, so yay! As for Sasuke's match… Yeah, I changed the name of Lion's Barrage and turned it into a fatal attack. Aside from that, it was about the same as the canon match."

Sora: "I still think you should have brought me and Kairi back from the grave."

"Who cares what you think… Wait a minute. Something's missing… Oh crud… Where'd Manaphy go?"

Shadow: "I saw him a while back. He said something about training. He also mentioned a really random phrase. Something about Youth."

(James stares at Shadow, a panicked look about him.) "W-where'd he go?"

Gai: "Don't worry; he's been with me and Lee, becoming a genius of hard work!" (Does the good guy pose alongside Lee and Manaphy. James looks the Pokemon over, checking for any sign of green spandex or any other Gai-influence. There is none, though Manaphy's smile seems to be shinier.)

Tifa: "He paid us a king's ransom to train him."

"'Us?'"

Tsunade: "Yes, us. Me, Tifa, Gai, and Lee."

"B-but… How'd he get the money in the first place?"

Tsunade: "Don't know. Don't care. I'm going to go to the local casino." (Walks off while Shizune clings onto her leg, yelling, "NOOO! You need that money to pay your deeeebbttssssssss!")

Manaphy: (smashes wall behind him with a Return attack.) "Youth! Bada!"

"No… I've lost him… he's fallen to the youthful side!"

(Might Gai and Lee leave, and Manaphy breathes a sigh of relief, wiping his forehead.)

Manaphy: "Youth! Stupid!"

"… You sly, manipulative little fox."

Manaphy: (Shoots James a look that practically screams "You didn't think I'd be that stupid, did you?")

"… You rock… See you all later, folks!" (Walks off with Manaphy) "Hey Anko! I've got a little surprise for you!"


	19. Prelims Headlines Part 2

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Manaphy: "Bada! Mama?"

Harry: "Yeah, where is James?"

Voldemort: "I think he's trying to sneak back into the XIII Ninja world again. Doesn't he realize that whenever he does that, Anko just blasts him back to this world?"

Sora: "Well, it doesn't matter. Let him burn."

Manaphy: "…"

Harry and Voldemort: "… Couldn't agree with you more."

* * *

_Quote:_

_"You… You are my PREY!"-Gaara_

* * *

_Omake: The day before the prelims…_

"Ah, Theox James…" The Hokage smiled. "How's your kid?"

"Fine. He's becoming stronger every day."

"That's good… So, tell me… Do you have the information?"

The Author lifted up a few folders, some with the symbol of the Leaf Village, some with the symbol of the Sand Village. "… You do realize how tough it was to get this stuff? I'm on good terms with the Twem Clan, but in order to keep those conditions, I had to settle for only low-class information. You know, basic techniques. As for the information on those Sand Village Ninja…" His smile grew feral. "I had no such limitations. What I have here is Top Secret information." He threw the folders down on the Hokage's desk. The Hokage opened them…

_Profile: Twem Llednar_

_Age: 12_

_Ninja Rank: Genin_

_Clan Sort: Biskmatar_

_Notable Skills: Omega, Abyss, Mighty Guard_

_Team: Riku (Rank: Jounin) (Leader), Hyuuga Hinata (Rank: Genin) Uzumaki Naruto (Rank: Genin)_

_Other notes: Although loyalties have been proven, means of assisting causes can be unpredictable. Knows about Kyuubi no Kitsune being sealed within Uzumaki Naruto. Graduated from Academy one year early._

_Profile: Twem-Previa Mid_

_Age: 14_

_Ninja Rank: Genin_

_Clan Sort: Mechanist_

_Notable Skills: Technological Supremacy_

_Team: Yuhi Kurenai (Rank: Jounin) (Leader), Inuzuka Kiba (Rank: Genin), and Aburame Shino (Rank: Genin)_

_Other Notes: By blood, older brother of Twem Llednar. No skills in Taijustu, Genjustu, and little skill in Ninjustu, though his Chakra control is above average. Failed Graduation Exam several times due to this._

_Profile: Twem-Alfitaria Fiona_

_Age: 13_

_Ninja Rank: Genin_

_Clan Sort: Dragoon_

_Notable Skills: Fireball Justu, Diving Fang, Summoning Justu_

_Team: Hatake Kakashi (Rank: Jounin, Ex-ANBU) (Leader), Uchiha Sasuke (Rank: Genin), Haruno Sakura (Rank: Genin)_

_Other Notes: Is taught by Twem-Alfitaria Knocfella. Confirmed to have Lightning Elemental Chakra. Is currently trying to apply this to her existing Justu._

_TOP SECRET PROJECT_

_OBJECTIVE: CREATE UNSTOPPABLE WEAPON_

_SUBJECT: NEWBORN CHILD, CODENAME: ASTAROTH_

_YEAR ONE: REINFORCED BONES AND SKIN TO ABSORB VARIOUS ATTACKS. WEIGHT INCREASED AS SIDE EFFECT. FURTHER EXPIRIMENTATION AND SURGERY INCLUDED INSERTING LARGE NAILS INTO SUBJECT, AS TO GIVE SUBJECT EXTRA DEFENSES._

_YEAR TWO: SUBJECT SHOWS MUTATIONS. SKIN CHANGED HUE TO PURPLE. SUBJECT GROWING AT EXTRORDINARY RATE. NAILS FUSED WITH BODY, GROWING WITH BODY._

_YEAR THREE: SUBJECT PLACED ON TEAM CONSISTING OF TAMURA TALIM AND HONG YUN-SEONG._

_YEAR FOUR: SUBJECT GIVEN FIRST A-RANK MISSION. MISSION SUCCESS. SUBJECT SHOWN TO HAVE EXTREME BLOODLUST. TWO LEAF NINJA KILLED DURING MISSION._

_YEAR FIVE: A-RANK MISSION TWO. MISSION SUCCESS. SIX WAVE NINJA KILLED. A-RANK MISSION THREE. FAILURE. CLIENT KILLED BY SUBJECT._

_YEAR SIX: ORDERED BY KAZEKAGE TO SEND SUBJECT TO CHUNIN EXAMS. REQUEST COMPLIED. SUBJECT AND TEAM CURRENTLY IN KONOHA._

"… So, what do ya think?" James asked. "It might be a smart idea to cancel these exams."

"I can't do that."

"EH?"

"Orochimaru is here, in Konoha. He promises the village's destruction should we cancel the Exams and 'ruin his fun.'

"Oh, boy… Well, my job is done. I'm outta here." The ninja disappeared in a short flash of light.

* * *

_Prelims Headlines, Read All About It! Hinata Screams, The Rivals get Serious, Lee won't Quit, and Why is It Always Girls?_

* * *

"Come ON! I'm itching to have a fight!" Naruto exclaimed. 

"I don't think the bulletin will go straight to your fight just because-" Llednar started, but the bulletin suddenly stopped.

**Uzumaki Naruto**

**Vs.**

**Sabaku no Gaara**

"-You want it to." He finished, with no change in emotion.

"WOOHOO!" Naruto jumped over the railing and landed on the battlefield. Meanwhile, Gaara, with a near-mad smile on his face, disappeared in a swirl of sand and reappeared across from Naruto.

"Ready?" the proctor coughed. "Begin!" He quickly jumped away as Naruto took a ready stance and the lid on Gaara's gourd popped off.

"This is bad… Naruto's dead meat," Kiba said, Akamaru cowering in his jacket.

"What makes you say that?" Kurenai asked.

"That guy… Gaara… He's insane. We watched him kill an entire team of ninja without even blinking…"

"Uzumaki Naruto…" Gaara said. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked, suspicious.

"You… Have one too, don't you?" Gaara asked, his eyes quickly growing more and more mad. "You and I are alike… Yes… Yes… I see it in your eyes…" He suddenly clutched his head. "AGGHHHH! I'm sorry, Mother… You're starving, aren't you?" He laughed, his eyes becoming bloodshot. "Yes… I know… Don't worry... I'll make this one's blood rain… and we will feed… yes…"

"What's this dude's problem? Bipolar disorder, or something?" Axel asked. Xemnas shrugged and returned to his book, although he did keep an eye on the battle.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Naruto asked, swinging his fist. "You're nuts!"

"Show me… Show me, Uzumaki Naruto…" He said, his smile widening. "Show me all your power!" Suddenly, sand rushed out of the gourd, flying at Naruto, who quickly used a portal of darkness to escape. No sooner did he come out, however, than the sand came for him again. This time, it covered Naruto. "No… This is too easy! Fight me, Uzumaki Naruto!"

"As you wish!" Suddenly, the sand burst away from Naruto, who had transformed. His hair was shorter now, and slightly more controlled with streaks of dark orange in his hair. As Naruto, in Lexeaus' form, threw a large tomahawk at Gaara, one of the people watching, the sensei of the Sound Genin, smiled. Gaara, however, was not pleased as he blocked the weapon with his sand. Naruto dived down and grasped the blade, putting more force into breaking through the sand. The stalemate lasted only a few seconds, and the Tomahawk broke through the sand, giving Naruto a chance to backhand Gaara into the wall.

"No… That wasn't it… You're still holding back… YOU'RE STILL HOLDING BACK!" The ninja got up, revealing that his skin was cracked off. "STOP IT, UZUMAKI NARUTO!!!" The sand rushed to him and swirled about him, returning his skin, or rather his sand armor to the flawless condition it had been in. The remaining sand suddenly blasted forward, this time taking shape: the shape of chains. Naruto brought up his Tomahawk to defend, and knocked the sand chain away, but not before something happened.

As the sand made contact with the weapon, Naruto, as well as the rest of the Organization, saw a young girl, clothed in white. She was buried up to her waist in sand, and was unconscious, though she twitched, as though trying to break free…

Naruto was knocked to the ground by another chain, and Lexeaus was forced back into Naruto's heart.

"Wasn't that-?" Larxene asked.

"… Namine…" Roxas muttered. "… She's trapped inside that guy… We have to help her!"

Xemnas nodded. "There could be a way. The Keyblade is the Key of Hearts. Roxas, using it you might be able to leave Naruto's heart and enter someone else's heart. In that same way, you should be able to bring Namine back here. Naruto, this will likely require that you use his powers. Do you feel capable?"

'Yeah. Anything for a friend of a friend,' Naruto replied, grinning as he took on Roxas' powers. Once again, he felt the power of the Keyblade overcome him, and he summoned the weapon. "Alrighty then! Here we go!" Naruto aimed the weapon at Gaara, and a beam fired out, carrying Roxas' 'spirit.' The beam quickly hit Gaara, piercing his defenses. A eardrum-shattering scream filled the room as Gaara stepped back, clutching at his heart. Instantly, Roxas' power left Naruto, who returned to normal. The redhead glared at Naruto.

"WHY?! WHY DON'T YOU FIGHT ME FOR REAL, UZUMAKI NARUTO? WHY WON'T YOU LET US SEE WHOSE EXSISTANCE IS GREATER? WHY?!"

"_Okay… I don't care anymore. Even if I am a demon… This village is my home, and I will protect it with my life. I have people who I care about, people that I won't stop protecting just because everyone else hates me."_

_"... Do you have someone... Precious... to you? Because... when you protect them, it gives you your true strength."_

"Because… I don't need to," Naruto finally replied. "It doesn't matter to me. I have everything I need as I am… As a guardian of my home." Naruto pointed his thumb at his forehead protector. "I don't need any special tricks! My friends are my power!"

Riku sighed, although he was smiling. "I know I've heard something like that before… Organization or no, he's just like Sora."

Naruto's grin faded as his opponent started to laugh. "Heheheh… HAHAHAHA! YOUR FRIENDS? IS THAT IT? HAHAHA!" The sand started to swirl around him, collecting onto his body, giving it a different shape. The entire left side of his upper body and head were covered now, and became monstrous. Naruto stepped back, staring.

"What on…"

"**DO YOU SEE IT NOW, UZUMAKI NARUTO?!" **Gaara laughed. **"DO YOU SEE HOW SIMILAR WE ARE?"** Naruto stepped back, summoning his claws. **"PEOPLE LIKE US… WE HAVE NO NEED FOR SUCH THINGS AS FRIENDSHIP! FIGHT ONLY FOR YOURSELF, UZUMAKI NARUTO! LOVE ONLY YOURSELF! OTHERWISE, YOU WILL NOT LIVE LONG... IN FACT, LET ME SHOW YOU AN EXAMPLE…"** Gaara shifted his attention upwards, towards...

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted, too late, as Gaara's sand arm smashed into Hinata like a large sledgehammer.

"AH!" Hinata cried out as she was pinned against the wall. "What on… She suddenly was overcome with pain as the sand started to slowly, agonizingly slowly crush her. Riku pulled out his Keyblade and saber, slashing at the sand, but to no avail.

"Hinata!" Naruto called out and ran towards her, only to be knocked down by sand shuriken.

"**IT'S USELESS. NOTHING WILL STOP THE SAND FROM CRUSHING HER, UNLESS… UNLESS YOU DEFEAT ME. NOW, COME ON! WHERE'S THIS POWER YOUR SO-CALLED 'FRIENDSHIP' GIVES YOU? SHOW IT TO ME!"**

"You…" Naruto growled, eyes closed. He felt the changes coming over him, but he didn't care at the moment.

"_You…"_ After all, this freak literally asked for this.

"**You will pay… I'll destroy you!"** Naruto turned to face Gaara, red eyes open and fangs bared. At the same time, he felt something else, something… foreign. But again, he didn't care. It was giving him power, power to gain vengeance for threatening his loved ones. He roared as, again, the bandages covering the fur-covered forearms burned away. At the same time, the seal on the back of his neck spread, covering his body, even his clothing, completely. Naruto bellowed again as the symbol of Organization XIII was placed upon his back, a white silhouette against a dark backdrop. This same mark placed itself upon the back of Naruto's palms. Lastly, a dark tail burst forth. **"Now, feel my wrath!"**

* * *

Meanwhile, Roxas found himself within a place very much like Sora's Heart, the only difference being was that whatever image was on the platform was obscured by sand. However, that wasn't what disturbed him most. 

"What the hell?" Standing before him was what could only be described as a giant mix of a dog and a raccoon made of sand. Stuck in the center of its forehead was none other than an unconscious Namine.

"Oh?" The Shukaku asked. "Well, well, well… It seems I have ANOTHER uninvited guest! Things are starting to get crowded!" It laughed.

"Well, actually… I'm here to take the other one away. Once that happens, then I'll leave, and you can have this place all to yourself!" Roxas pointed at Namine.

"Oh… Well, I hate to burst your bubble… But I don't care about that! You see… I've been getting a little… hungry. So I've decided to assimilate this little runt into my diet, and now that you're here… You're the main course, too!" Suddenly, Roxas was forced to dodge several air bullets.

"… Hm. If you're now going to give her to me…" Roxas pulled out the Keyblades, spinning them as he went into a fighting stance. "I'll have to take her by force!" He jumped upon the Shukaku's paw and ran up it, dodging several sand attacks as he did.

"Just try it!" The Shukaku bellowed arrogantly.

"I intend to!" Roxas jumped up, onto the creature's forehead. "Namine!" The girl didn't respond. "It's me! Roxas! Wake up!" Roxas continually dodged sand tendrils as he started pulling the Nobody out of the sand.

Namine slowly started to wake up, and she looked at Roxas.

"Roxas? But how-?"

"No time to explain. I've got to get you out of here!"

"NO!" Namine responded. "I can't leave Gaara like this!"

"Why the hell not?" Roxas asked, evading another attack.

"Gaara… When I arrived here, he wasn't that bad… However… A few weeks after that… Something happened. His uncle tried to kill him because he was considered too powerful. That man, other than me, was the only one who seemed to even care about him! When he learned that deep down, his uncle actually hated him, he… he broke. I've been trying to help, but it's hard. I'm the only one who shows him any kindness, and I'm just an apparition to him… Meanwhile, there this guy." She gestured to the Shukaku. "My job is only harder with him screwing Gaara's mind up even more… But I won't give up. I was sent to Gaara because I was believed to be able to be his friend and guardian. I'm certain you have something like that… After all, you were a Nobody too, so you had to take on the same role I have now, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"No buts! I'm staying. But you should leave. After all, you have your own someone to protect." Roxas looked down.

"Alright… But let me at least help you out of this mess." Roxas made one last pull, and Namine was freed from her prison. He picked her up bridal-style and jumped back down. "You think you can handle this?"

"Of course. I'm not completely weak, after all…" Namine replied. She threw her fist down, and pulled from the platform a chain. "These memories… They're old, and they've weakened over time… But they'll hold him until Gaara can make new, happier memories." She nodded and smiled at Roxas.

"Yeah, and I'll make sure Naruto helps." With that, Roxas disappeared, leaving Namine alone with the beast.

"Okay then, I'm done putting up with you!"

* * *

A light left Gaara and flew straight back to Naruto, who was just now finishing his transformation. Now, white cracks seemed to stem across Naruto's body, coming from the Nobody Symbol on his back. Riku glanced at the symbol in bemusement. 

'Of course… Xemnas and the others… That seal… They're trying to stop the curse seal. It's all they can do right now…'

The Leaf Ninja roared in anger at his opponent and charged, slashing into Gaara's arm and tearing deep into the sand arm. However, the sand caught Naruto's arm.

"**YEEESSSSSSS! THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT I WANTED TO SEE FROM YOU! YES! NOW, SHOW ME THE POWER OF YOUR EXSISTANCE!"** Gaara screamed as if he was delighted, sand now starting to cover every part of his body. Meanwhile, the sand started to cover Naruto's arm. Growling, Naruto teleported away with the power of darkness and charged again. This time, as he advanced, the tail grew in length, and once Naruto was within 13 meters of his opponent, he spun, the Tail slashing at Gaara's head. The attack, however, was caught in Gaara's now-completely covered right sand arm. Naruto roared and jumped, using all his strength to have his tail to bring Gaara up with him. Naruto then wrapped Gaara in his dark tail and spun as they descended, finally forcing Gaara let go. As soon as Naruto felt the pressure on his tail lessen, he unfurled his tail, throwing the Sand Ninja into the wall.

"**Now, TAKE THIS!"** Naruto cried out victoriously as he sank both his claws and his fangs into Gaara. He forcefully ripped off both of the sand arms and ravaged his way through the sand armor guarding his heart with his teeth. With every hit, Riku noticed the sand around Hinata weakening. She awoke, and stared at the dark fox tearing into her assailant. Her eyes widened.

'… Of course she's terrified... She's never seen Naruto using the Kyuubi's Power… And here he's also using that stupid Curse Seal… His power and ferocity is unmatched... Damnit, I can't stop him as he is!'

"Naruto…" Hinata murmured, in near-shock. Not hearing her, the Demon-powered warrior threw Gaara to the ground, revealing a crater where he had hit the wall earlier.

"**THIS-"** he picked up the demon container and slammed him back into the ground. **"-IS-"** He scooped Gaara up with his tail and threw him. **"-WHAT-"** He fired off a round of dark bursts. **"YOU GET FOR HURTING HER!" **Gaara hit the ground, but got up shakily. **"Now… Let her go."**

"Naruto!" Hinata called, trying to get his attention. The sand was loose, and although it still kept her against the wall, she was no longer being crushed. She called him again, this time using all her strength. "Stop it, Naruto!" The dark-clouded boy stopped in his slow, deadly advance and saw her. Slowly, Naruto began to change back. First, the Nobody Symbol disappeared, and the black chipped off in large chunks, the edges being where the Nobody Seal had separated it, and dissolved. Naruto's eyes returned to their normal blue shade, and he fell to his staggered from all fours back to his feet. He smiled a little, but knew it wasn't over. After all, although he had beaten Gaara to a pulp and removed his armor, Gaara himself was still standing. His gourd was gone, likely a part of the sand that laid everywhere.

"… Time to end this. _Kage Bunshin no Justu!_" Naruto summoned thirteen clones, making fourteen of him in all. "Now, time to show you my new technique." Suddenly, the clones each transformed, each becoming co-controlled by a member of Organization XIII. Naruto grinned. Suddenly, one sped forward, Oathkeeper and Oblivion phasing into existence.

"XIII!" Roxas called as he threw Oathkeeper, gathering energy at the same time into Oblivion. The Key of Light hit Gaara and sent him flying, and he was soon hit bay a barrage of red beams of energy fired of by Roxas. This only served to knock Gaara higher into the air as another Naruto rushed forward, this time with sleeker hair.

"XII!" Larxene smiled as she loosed a large amount of electricity from her kunai and threw Gaara higher into the air, where yet another Naruto was waiting, this time with long, messy hair with strands of… pink?

"XI!" Marluxia summoned a swarm of petals, some of which spiraled around Gaara, creating a whirlwind that kept him airborne. The other petals formed into a bud-shape, which fired off several shots of pink energy, sending Gaara flying over the head of another Naruto. This one's whiskers now had to share space with a moustache and goatee, and Naruto's hair was short, almost bald. He flipped a coin and smirked at the result.

"X!" Instantly, time stopped, and Luxord pulled out a deck of cards and threw the lot of them at Gaara like a ninja would shuriken. They all hit, and Gaara was now covered in cuts. Time started again, and Gaara flew towards the ground, where a sitar-wielding Naruto was standing.

"IX!" Demyx played a quick riff which created a whirlpool, which Gaara quickly became trapped in. Demyx continued to play, summoning a swarm of water clones which rammed into Gaara. He looked at another Naruto, who had spiked-back, red streaked hair, and nodded. This Naruto's smile became feral.

"VIII!" Axel roared as he threw his chakrams at Gaara, sending him flying out of the whirlpool. Axel moved around the whirlpool and grabbed the sand-nin, throwing him towards another Naruto, this time with silver-stranded, long hair and a x-shape scar on his face.

"VII." Saix took a peculiar stance (one that Riku recognized as a base ball batter's stance) as Gaara came his way, an swung his claymore at the redheaded ninja, smashing him towards the ceiling, where a peculiar-haired Naruto was standing upside down. He opened a book, and leafed through a couple pages. Finally, he closed the book and jumped.

"VI." Zexion grabbed Gaara and they both fell, spinning at an insane speed, towards the ground. At the last moment, Zexion eased away and landed on his feet as Gaara hit the ground full force. However, it wasn't over.

"V!" Lexeaus hefted his tomahawk and slammed it into the ground, causing pillars of earth to trap the reeling sand ninja. Another Naruto walked up and hefted his shield.

"IV…" He said lazily as he snapped his fingers, causing Gaara to be frozen from the waist down. However, this wasn't to last, as a darkness shrouded silhouette of Naruto came from above, breaking the ice and throwing Gaara into the air…

"III!" Where Xaldin came down with all his lances. Sand and Wind met, and Gaara ended up back on the ground with several spears in him. However, he suddenly found himself in the air again, facing a corner where another Naruto was sitting lazily.

"II! Asta la Vista, dude!" Xigbar lifted his guns and fired away, higher and higher. When it ended, Gaara thought it was over, but then he noticed that while he was distracted with the gunshots, an entire sphere of small red beams had appeared, surrounding him form all sides. Just outside the sphere, another long haired Naruto, though the silver in his hair was darker, sneered with his arms crossed.

"I." Xemnas couldn't help but enjoy sending all of the lasers at Gaara, one after another. Finally, he fired the last one, sending Gaara back towards the ceiling, where the real Naruto was waiting. He jumped from his position and landed a kick into Gaara's stomach.

"Uzumaki Naruto: XIII Rendan!" Naruto yelled as he sent Gaara crashing to the ground. Naruto landed a good distance away, and fell to one knee as his shadow clones puffed away. Gaara struggled to get up, but finally did so, arriving in the same stance as Naruto.

"… But… How… Why… How could… How could your existence… How could it beat mine?" He rasped. Naruto smiled as he noticed the sand falling away and freeing Hinata.

"Because… Because I have something… Because I have something worth fighting for." He frowned at Gaara's confused expression. "Don't you have something like that?" He got up and started walking towards Gaara. However, halfway there, one of Gaara's teammates, Temari, jumped from the railing and blocked him.

"Don't get any closer! I won't let you-" She warned. Naruto smiled.

"What? I was just trying to help him…" He walked up to Gaara, and helped Gaara up and brought him to Temari. "It seems… You do have someone like that, huh?" He asked as he gave Gaara to Temari. "You don't have to fight alone. I learned that a long time ago." He said, waving to his team.

"Because someone interfered on Gaara's behalf, the winner of this fight is Uzumaki Naruto!" Hayate said, much coughing in between.

'Heh… Now, if only Naruto had done that during the true final rounds… Then he'd have been a sure win for Chunin. Then again… who says he won't get another chance?' Riku laughed at his thoughts. Gaara was carried away by Temari and some Medical Ninja, while Naruto got to the railings. Riku kneeled down to him. "Naruto, it's time we go."

"What? But Llednar's-"

"We have to get that seal checked," Riku whispered, narrowing his eyes. Naruto protested at first, but was too tired from the battle to keep doing so. "Don't worry, Naruto. I'm sure Hinata will take do more than enough cheering for the both of us, and she'll bring us information on the next rounds." He winked at Hinata. "Won't you?"

"Y-yes!" Hinata said, nodding. Anything to make sure Naruto was alright…

At the same time, the Sound Jounin left through a different path…

* * *

"Now, Naruto, I won't lie to you. This WILL hurt, a lot. However, it is the only thing that will keep that seal under control," Kakashi said. Naruto nodded groggily, looking at the paint all over his body. He gulped and braced himself. "Alright… _Fuja Hoin!_" He thrust his finger onto the Curse Seal, and Naruto cried out in pain as the paint quickly went straight towards the seal on his neck, and as the last of it went in, Naruto collapsed, unable to keep going. Kakashi smiled as he looked at the seal, which was now surrounded with another seal, but then gasped as another seal appeared inside the curse, this taking on the form of the Nobody Mark. 

Riku peered at the mark, and grinned. "It seems that we're not the only ones who want to keep Naruto safe from that mark's influence…" He looked at Sasuke, who laid a few feet away. "Do you think they'll be alright?"

"Of course," Kakashi replied. "So, how'd Naruto's fight go?"

Riku paused. "The mark activated mid-battle."

"So you stopped it?"

"… No. He was also under the Kyuubi's influence at the time. I would have been obliterated."

"Yes… And that's what makes him such an amazing prospect." Riku and Kakashi turned around, glaring at Orochimaru, who was now walking out of the shadows. "Even though the Kyuubi makes him unsuitable for my special plans… it makes him the perfect tool. Just a few little tweaks here and there… and he'd be as good as mine." The nukenin licked his lips. "Failing that, of course… he'd make a great bargaining chip."

"Stop talking about him like he was your toy!" Riku summoned Way to the Dawn and took his battle stance. Orochimaru's smile widened.

"Ah… Well, well, well… I never thought I'd see that kind of weapon again…" The Sannin marveled. "And to see it twice in one day…" His smile grew. "The Keyblade… The weapon they seek…" Riku took a step forward.

"What the hell are you…" He trailed off, already realizing what this meant. "You… You know the Chasers."

"Oh, yes." Orochimaru laughed. "I met them a long time ago… and it was they who taught me the basics that I used for the seal that is now on Sasuke and Naruto's neck… They taught me how to use a special enzyme, mixed with my own darkness, to create a seal that slowly made the victim who used it into my servants…" He licked his lips again.

"You'll never get them!" Riku swung his sword and charged.

"If you kill me, you obviously know what will happen." Riku's blade stopped but an inch from Orochimaru's throat.

"Riku, what are you doing?" Kakashi urged. "Kill him now!"

"… I can't. He's a marked man. If I so much as cut him… The Chasers will know that a Keybearer is here. They'll come, and they'll kill me. And if they hear anything about Naruto, they might kill him too." He stepped back. "However… If you can do it, then be my guest." He glared at the snake-user, who smirked back.

"Of course, he can't kill me either. He's too weak and you're unable to because of the Chasers. How unfortunate…" He stepped back. "However, I will let these two grow a little longer… hmhmhm…" He disappeared into the wall, where Riku slammed his fist a moment later.

"DAMNIT!" Riku growled, looking at his now-bloody hand. Here he was, once again unable to help his friends… And again, it was because of that STUPID Keyblade of his! He glanced at Kakashi. "I'm sorry…"

"It's alright. We can get him next time he shows, as a team."

"I hope so…"

* * *

"This is it… Now, we end this!" Sakura pulled out a Kunai and threw it in one quick movement. Ino blocked it with her own weapon, only to gasp as a pouch attached to the bag split as she accidentally cut it and several pieces of paper came out. 

"Oh, come on, Sakura! Confetti? Now that's just-" Ino stopped mid sentence as she noticed what the 'confetti' actually was. She stared as Sakura pulled out another Kunai, this one with a single tag attached to it.

Sakura smirked. "Now, eat this: _Sakura Fubuki no Justu!_" Sakura activated the tag and threw the kunai which, upon exploding, detonated the rest of the tags. After the cloud of dust settled, Sakura walked up to a now-unconscious Ino.

She now had several burn marks all over her body, and was bleeding. Sakura closed her eyes, trying to avert the sight of her rival and, as much as she loathed it, friend, in such a state. Hayate announced the match as a victory for Haruno Sakura, while the Medic Ninja carefully carried off Ino in a stretcher. Sakura, after some hesitation, followed. Hinata watched the board trying to focus on the next match.

"You are worried about him." Hinata turned to face Rock Lee. "You are worried about Naruto, yes? I don't know much, but I do know that both he and Sasuke were taken away by their Senseis right after their battles. I also know that Naruto looked like he was drained of Chakra. You have plenty of reasons to be worried." Hinata looked down.

"Yes, but… Riku-Sensei told me he'd be fine, so I believe he will."

"That is good… Tell me, do you like him?"

"H-HUH?!" Hinata asked, her blush plainly visible from the other side of the room. "Of-Of course I like him! He's my friend, after all!" She said, averting the question.

"Ah… But do you LIKE him?" Tenten asked as she walked up next to Lee. She waggled her finger. "Come on, no need to be shy! After all, it's pretty obvious from the way you're always blushing like that!" She smiled.

"Yeah," A random ninja said as he passed Hinata. "I totally think you two would make the perfect-" Suddenly a hand came out of the wall, grabbing the Leaf-Ninja by the neck (therefore cutting off his air supply), and Anko revealed her face from behind a Camouflage Cloak.

"Sorry 'bout that." She smiled smugly as she brought the ninja behind the cloak, and several sounds of bashing and pain were heard. "What have I told you about messing around in this world. Go back to where you belong!" She evidently was walking away, because both the thrashing and the sounds of her rant started to fade. Hinata stared.

"… Uh… Anyway…" Tenten trailed off.

"As we were saying…" Lee started up again. "Go, do not be shy! Let the Springtime of Youth blossom in you! And-"

"Uh, Lee, was it?" Llednar poked him. "Your match."

Lee's ears perked. "Wait, whose match?"

"Your own. Rock Lee vs. Astaroth. However, might I suggest that you-" His warning was left unheard as Lee whooped and jumped down to the arena, which was now completely riddled with several craters form all the previous fights. Before him, Astaroth smirked, his arms crossed. Lee bowed.

"I am glad to able to face you." He then sank into a fighting stance, placing one hand behind his back with another in a 'bring-it-on' position.

"And I'm glad to be able to kill you!" Astaroth said, obviously in a bragging manner.

"WOO! GO, LEE! LET THE POWER OF YOUTH EXPLODE!" Lee's teacher, Might Gai, exclaimed. Tenten sighed at her instructor's insanity.

Hinata gulped, meanwhile, remembering what Riku had said.

_"Even if it costs you the chance of being promoted, stay well away from a man by the name of Astaroth. He's easily recognizable. He's real big, with purple skin. He's a sand nin. If you end up in a battle with him, run. Run as far as you can from him…__Because... if he catches you... I guarantee you will die a horrible, painful death. Either that, or he'll make sure you'll never again be able to serve as a shinobi."_

"Neji…"

"What is it, Hinata-sama?" Neji scowled as he replied.

"Your teammate… Lee… You have to make his quit, right now, before they start the fight!"

"What are you talking about?" Neji asked.

"That guy… He… He's something else. If Lee fights him… He's dead."

"Don't worry, Hinata!" Tenten said, waving her hand. "Lee may not look like much… but he is-"

"I have no doubt of his skill… It's just… Astaroth… Riku-Sensei gave us explicit orders… No mater what, we were not to get anywhere near him, even if it cost us a chance at making Chunin."

"Why?"

"He said that if we ended up facing him… we'd be as good as dead." She looked at the ring, where Lee had just started. One moment, he was standing there, the next, he had reached Astaroth and was landing punch after punch. Astaroth half closed his eyes.

"Oh, come on! I wanted a real fight! Hit me harder! Hit me faster!" he put his arms behind his head, taking a bored pose even as Lee landed a punch that should have made him double over. Lee jumped back, panting.

"Lee!" Gai called.

"Yes?" Lee asked, puzzled. Gai made a distinctive thumbs up and gave his trademark eye-blinding grin.

"Take them off!"

"What?" Hinata asked. Take what off? Neji, however, smirked.

"Things are about to get slightly more interesting…" He smiled as he watched Lee lift his legwarmers and remove weights from them.

"Weights?" Hinata asked.

"Yes, weights," Gai replied, his grin practically shining.

'How does he DO that?' Hinata thought, but instead asked, "But what difference will it make?"

"Just watch." Gai said as Lee lifted the weights high.

"Yosh! Now I can fight at full power!" Lee then dropped the weights, and the shockwave was enough to make everyone's jaw drop. Llednar, however, smiled.

"1 ton, 29 pounds, 3 ounces, if my calculations are correct…"

"Almost correct, Llednar-sama. 1 ton, 29 pounds, 7 ounces, total," Mid replied.

"Not bad. Not bad at all…" Llednar's smile grew wider. "Too bad I didn't get to fight him. He would probably force me to fight… at 80 Percent." He sighed. "Ah well…"

Lee instantly disappeared, and in the blink of an eye hit Astaroth from behind, knocking him forward. Astaroth smirked.

"You're getting there! Come on, show me more power!" Astaroth stretched his arms out to the side in a 'come-on' stance.

"Yosh!" Lee jumped back and began to run around Astaroth at high speeds. "Here it comes!" After 25 laps around Astaroth, Lee changed direction, heading just below him, aiming an upwards kick…

Only to lift him up into the air five inches. Lee's eye widened, and he kicked again, and again, and again, slowly bringing Astaroth higher and higher.

"39, 40, 41…" Mid counted, marveling at Lee's endurance.

"43, 44, 45…" Llednar was counting as well, although he had an indifferent expression on his face. Finally, after a grand total of 58 hits, Lee wrapped Astaroth in bandages and they both flew down. Lee let go at the last second and flew away form the point of impact. "_Omote Renge!_" Lee panted as he landed a few feet away. "That… finished him…"

"Heh... Heh heh heh…. Oh… That was something else!" Lee stared at the dust clouds, where a voice was laughing. Astaroth came out of the dust, a maniacal smile on his face. Lee stared.

"Not… Not one scratch… Not one…" Gai muttered, absolutely shocked.

"Can you do it again?" That was wonderful! Hit me again. I loved it! Absolutely loved it! Do it again!" Astaroth laughed, and Lee stepped back. Astaroth noticed this, and cocked his head to one side. "What? Can't you… do it again? Was that all?" He paused, and his face suddenly was contorted in wrath. He went at Lee and lifted him up, shaking him. "That can't be it! You HAVE to be able to do that again! I loved every second of it. Every kick, and the spinning! I loved how much hope you had when you were using it! Hope that you could win! Do it AGAIN!" He threw Lee like a rag doll. He looked at the ninja for a while. "… No? Fine then… I'll make you scream before this ends…" He placed his hand on the cloth that descended from his belt. He tapped it, and in a burst of smoke, Astaroth hefted a large polearm with an axe on the end. "Now, give me some pleasure!" He swung that blunt end of the axe at Lee, scooping him up in it and smashing him into the ground. He then smacked Lee a bit more with his weapon, keeping him down. Lee tried to get away, only to be grabbed by the leg and thrown. Lee got up after hitting the wall.

"… I have no choice… The condition is met, Gai-sensei… I must… defend…. My nindo!" Le started to glow, and his skin started to become darker, more red, and his hair flew up. "_Seimon… KAI_!" Lee disappeared again, practically ramming, into Astaroth and knocking his axe to the ground as the sand ninja flew high into the air. "_Shomon… KAI_!" Lee then moved at higher and higher speeds, knocking Astaroth about the room.

"Amazing…" Hinata stared.

"Hmm… Maybe… He would stand a chance against me at 90 Percent..." Llednar said.

"Now, for the finishing touch!" Lee punched Astaroth to the ground, grabbing his cloth as he did so. "_Tomon, KAI_!" He then pulled Astaroth back towards him. Just before he landed the last blow, he saw the man's face, which would haunt him forever:

Astaroth was laughing.

"_Ura Renge_!" Lee and Astaroth crashed together into the ground, though Lee jumped back at the last moment. Lee collapsed to his knees, his skin the usual color and his arm and leg broken. "That had… That had to finish him." Just as he said that, Lee realized that it didn't. One second later, Astaroth came from the smoke, rushing at Lee, completely unharmed.

"What IS this guy?" Neji asked.

"Astaroth of Suna…" Came a haunted, ominous voice. Riku stepped out of the portal just as Astaroth smashed Lee's arm in his hand while simultaneously crushing his leg with his knee. "… Better known as Banjin no Satetsu, the Barbarian of the Iron Sand."

"B-Banjin no Satetsu?" Gai asked, trembling. "You don't mean…"

"Yeah… And that means we have to get Lee out of this!" Riku and Gai jumped as one, blocking a punch that Astaroth had thrown.

"What the-? ... Oh, it's you... The one I didn't kill." Astaroth said upon noticing Riku. "I was hoping you would show up. That way, I could kill you… I knew you were strong, so I wanted more than anything, to kill you…"

"Not now… If I get the chance, I'll kill you, Astaroth. We can't fight now, but the first chance I get… I'll avenge my comrades."

"… All this talk is boring..." Astaroth yawned and turned around. "I'm out of here." He walked away, picking up his Axe as he went. Riku put away his saber, looking at Lee, who was still standing, even with one arm deathly thin, the bicep muscles and bones grinded in Astaroth's grip, and a broken leg. Riku further noted that Lee was unconscious.

'To think… Such a remarkable young guy… I wonder… what were his motivations?'

* * *

"Such a guy…" Llednar said, trembling. Hinata tilted to see his face, and gasped. Her friend's face was pale, and his eyes narrowed, almost to the point of being catlike. He was breathing heavily, and a feral smile was on his face. "Such a guy… To face me… No, to be my match… at 100 Percent... What a battle that would be… I hope my battle is as good… As that…"

"Llednar?" Hinata asked uncertainly.

"Yes?" Almost instantly, Llednar was as he usually was. He looked at Hinata. "Excuse me… But why are you tilting at such an angle?" Hinata shrugged, and looked at Riku, who was walking up to them.

"How's Naruto?" They both asked as one. Riku laughed.

"Don't worry, he's just resting up in his room in the Hyuuga Compound. He'll be fine in a few hours." He looked at the board, which was now depicting the next battle.

**Nara Shikamaru**

**Vs.**

**Tenten**

"What!?" Shikamaru groaned. "Why a girl?" Tenten's ears twitched.

"Sexist!" She grumbled as she jumped to the ground. "I was going to go easy on you, but now you got me mad!"

"How troublesome…" He walked down to the arena, grumbling the whole way.

"Ready… Begin!" Hayate jumped away as Tenten jumped into the air, throwing a large number of kunai at Shikamaru, who dodged quickly.

"Oh, no you don't!" Tenten growled as she threw another wave of weapons at Shikamaru, who carefully dodged them. After a few more minute of this, Tenten finally fell to the ground.

"Finally… That was getting bothersome…" Shikamaru quickly formed a few hand seals. "_Kagemane no Justu_!" Quickly, Shikamaru's shadow spread, flying among the weapons and reaching Tenten. Shikamaru sighed. "Now," He moved his hand as if to pick something up from the floor, and Tenten did the same. However, while Shikamaru came back up with nothing, Tenten had picked up a heavy metal club. "Let's see how you deal with this!" Shikamaru then tossed the nonexistent weapon into the air, while Tenten did the same with her club. At the last moment, Shikamaru released the control he had on her, and Tenten was hit over the head with the heavy weapon, knocking her out. HE shrugged as she hit the ground, a small amount of blood coming form her head. He turned around as the medic ninja came to carry Tenten off.

"That was troublesome…"

* * *

"_It seems like it's time for my match. Now, who's my opponent? I hope they're strong…"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Prelims Headlines, Read All About It! Heir faces branch, Bugs, Bugs Everywhere, Stretchy Sounds, Needles of Mirage, Tubby Dude and the Iron Fan, And Bark, Bark! The Clash of Egos!**_

"_Hmm… This might be interesting."_

* * *

(James is staring at the number of pages Microsoft Word is telling him he's done.) "… 28 Pages, including the Author Notes. Nice. I just wanted to make sure that I did all the battles in three chapters…" (Walks off.) "I wonder where everyone else is…" 


	20. Prelims Headlines Part 3

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

"Here it is, the final part of the Chunin Exams Prelims!" (Looks at schedule, confirming what he had just said. It sinks in…) "NOOOOOO!! The last part of the Chunin Exams Prelims!"

Llednar: "This is my fight, right? Do I get to go 100?"

"… No. Not yet."

Llednar: "… Damn."

"But you get to show off the best attack in your FFTA Arsenal."

Llednar: "Good. I've wanted to use that for ages."

"But you're not using it at full power."

Llednar: "… That sucks."

"Sorry. I have to have your opponent walk away from this."

Llednar: (grins)

"With _all_ his limbs intact and useable."

Llednar: "Damnit."

* * *

_Omake: Fear Hinata's Ownage!_

"Uh, Riku, you sure this is a good idea?" Naruto asked.

Riku laughed. "Maybe not for Neji, especially with who I had train her."

"You're too nice, Hinata. I implore you, surrender, now." Neji warned.

Hinata closed her eyes. "Really? Unfortunately, you don't seem to know anything about my true power… Let me show you what power I possess…" She smirked as she started to glow. A magic circle appeared above her, and seemed to quickly be gaining energy. The circle then fired the energy downwards, blinding all. When the light faded, Hinata was kneeling, her hair having become silver instead of blackish… blueish… whatever that color is. She rose, revealing that her clothes were now black leather, with two metal shoulder pads. She smirked as she whipped out her left hand, a black wing stretching out alongside it. Hinata grasped a ridiculously long katana in her right hand. "Now, witness the power I wield, the power given to me… by Mother." Neji's jaw dropped.

Meanwhile, in a random part of the audience, Sephiroth was cheering alongside Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. "WOOOO! GO, HINATA! Bring about our great Reunion!" However, Sephiroth was eating popcorn, which splattered everywhere as he talked.

Right next to them, Jenova would have facepalmed, if she had hands. Instead, she sighed mentally.

Hinata grinned as she rose a hand, which summoned Meteor.

"My Ultimate Reunion…"

Team Sephiroth: 1

Team Neji: 0

(Because you know I had to do something like this sometime.)

* * *

Quote: _"__Power of eradication, gather upon the tip of this blade! Hoist yourself to the brightest light, then plunge into the deepest darkness..."-Llednar Twem, FFTA, Japanese Version_

(Quote Note: When Llednar says this, run away. Seriously.)

Second Quote_: "You. Vanish."-Sephiroth, FF7, also said by Llednar in FFTA, Japanese Version. Not kidding._

* * *

Llednar's face was emotionless as he watched the battle happening beneath him. Shino, a leaf ninja, had laid an excellent trap, to be sure, but… As he watched Zaku's arms explode, he only had one thing on his mind…

'Why won't my battle come?"

_

* * *

Prelims Headlines, Read All About It! Heir faces Branch, Bugs, Bugs Everywhere, Stretchy Sounds, Needles of Mirage, Tubby Dude and the Iron Fan, And Bark, Bark! The Clash of Egos!_

* * *

"Winner, Temari!" Temari stood triumphant over a demolished Choji. However, she quickly ran off, in the direction of the Hospital. She had quickly ended the fight, using her fan as a bat to knock the tubbier ninja away.

'I… Want… To fight…' He looked at Hinata, as well as the place where Naruto had been standing before his match with Gaara. 'At this rate… All the good opponents will have already fought, and I'll be stuck with someone weak…' Just as he thought that, ironically, the billboard stopped, and revealed the next two fighters.

**Tsurugi Misumi**

**Vs.**

**Kinuta Dosu**

'The board is irritating me…'

* * *

"Gaara? You alright?" Temari asked, looking at Gaara. The younger Sand Ninja gazed up at her, starting to become more aware. He blinked, trying to understand.

"Why? Why would you… Why would you save me?" He rasped. 'This isn't right…'

"Because, Gaara… You're my brother, and I care about you." She sat on the bed he was lying on, pulling out a small bowl of rice candy. "Would you like some?" She asked, offering him the bowl.

"…"

"I told you, Gaara! You don't have to live like this! Loving only yourself, it doesn't help. If you fight for others, and care about them, they will give you strength!" Namine said, wrapping the last chains around Shukaku as she spoke. "You don't have to be alone. Not anymore…"

"No! She lies! They both lie! They'll be your undoing! Fight only for yourself, love onl-mmph!" The Shukaku, the great Sand Spirit, struggled as its mouth was tied closed with some of the chains.

"Go for it, Gaara!" Namine said, smiling.

Gaara thought. He looked inwards, to The Shukaku, then to Namine. Then he looked outwards, to Temari, who was looking worriedly at him. After a good while, he made his choice. He accepted the bowl and took out a rice candy.

'… Eh, this side's got candy.' He thought to himself as he talked to Temari, hoping that she was only the first of many people to accept him…

* * *

"M-My Karasu…" a certain puppet master whined, elsewhere...

* * *

"Let's see… How am I gonna promote NaruHina tod-"

"_Sennen Goroshi (1000 Years of Death)!"_

"GAH! It looks like I'm blasting off again!"

"Idiot…" Riku mumbled from right behind where James had been. He looked at Anko. "So, uh… now what?"

"How about we head back to the Arena and watch the next match?"

"Uh, sure… But what about after that?"

"You've got to train one of your students for the Finals."

"…Damnit."

"… Fine, then, you can bring me on a date after that."

"WHOOHOO! Riku is back on board!"

* * *

"Winner, Dosu!" Dosu walked away as Misumi was put on a stretcher. He had tried to stretch and choke Dosu, but the sound ninja had simply released a sound wave which reverberated through the long body. Misumi hadn't stood a chance.

'I can't believe I'm reducing myself to this…' Llednar thought to himself.

"I hope Naruto's okay… Hey, how about you Lled… nar?" Hinata stared.

"Let it be me, let it be me, let it be me…" Llednar was in a pose similar to what Naruto had, though he looked much less enthusiastic. However, the board was not to be fooled…

**Hong Yun-Seong**

**Vs.**

**Inuzuka Kiba**

"Alright, Akamaru, you ready?" Kiba grinned. Akamaru barked in response.

"Finally! I want a good match!" Yun-Seong grumbled. He drew a sword, and spun it.

"Ready?" The proctor coughed as he slowly stepped away. "Begin!"

"Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba charged, throwing a smoke bomb. He jumped into the smoke, and struck at Yun-Seong, ho dodged and spun his sword quickly, blowing away the smoke. The sand ninja charged, smacking Kiba back with the blunt of his sword. He then slid behind Kiba and pushed him to the ground. Akamaru tried to bite him, but was quickly dealt with as well. Kiba then gave Akamaru a pill, which, along with making the dog red and more feral, also made him stronger. Kiba took one himself, and they charged at high speeds, attempting to hit Yun-Seong in his blind spots by distracting him with one attack while the other assailant made a real attack, using their Fang-Over-Fang. However, Yun-Seong simply dodged both of them, making them collide head on. After the resulting explosion cleared away, Yun Seong stood, victorious, over his opponent. He followed the Medic-Ninja away, smirking at the defeated foe.

"Didn't even break a sweat."

Lednar was now in the same pose as before and, more determined than he had been before, chanting, "Let it be me, let it be me, LET IT BE ME…"

**Hyuuga Neji**

**Vs**

**Twem Llednar**

"Yes," He breathed. He then regained his usual stony composure and walked down the stairs.

"So, you're the Twem Llednar, Heir to your clan… Tch." Neji shook his head. "To think, that someone like you could be the leader of your Clan, with such worthless teammates."

"They are my comrades, Hyuuga, and they both are likely better than you," Llednar sighed.

"What? You think… You think I'm weak?"

"I do not know. However, I'm eager to see… Just how far you can push me…" He drew his sword, getting into a defensive stance. "Show me your power… And I shall judge… Just how great… Your potential is."

"Why you-" Neji struck first at the same time that he activated the Byakugan, sending a Jyuuken strike at Llednar's shoulder. Llednar dodged fluidly, and with the grace of a cat he was behind Neji. "Agh!" Neji roared in frustration as he turned about, this time landing a solid blow at Llednar's chest. Hinata gasped.

'That… That was a direct hit to the heart…'

"… Not… Not bad. But I'm only at 53 Percent." Llednar dodged another strike, and countered with a kick to the stomach. However, Neji dodged that, and jumped back.

'He's good… Damnit…' He used his peripheral vision to see his uncle, who was watching the match. 'I have no choice… It can't be helped… If I want to face… Her…' He used his Byakugan to watch Hinata, who was observing worriedly. 'I'll give her something to worry about…' He smirked. "Heh… It seems… That you are in my divination circle." Llednar's eyes widened as, at lightning speed, Neji was in front of him, landing blow after blow after blow.

"_Ni Hirate… Shi Hirate… Hatsu Hirate… Nihachi Hirate… Sanjuuni Hirate… Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou! (Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms)"_

Llednar skidded back, his arms in front of him, and he breathed a little heavier, partial shock on his face. However, when Neji inspected his work, he saw something different than he had expected. Instead of his chakra points having been shut, Llednar had chakra flowing about him, guarding him in the same way Gaara's sand had covered his body, like an extra layer of skin. "What?"

"We call it Isei Shubi, or Mighty Guard," Llednar panted. "It creates a protective armor around the user, made of chakra. It disrupted your chakra, and blocked the attack." He let down the armor. "However, it can be very taxing." 'Indeed… The only one I know who might feasibly be able to use it constantly would be… Naruto.' "On the other hand… I must congratulate you. You have some power… But you've only pushed me to 60 Percent. Now, let's step it up… From here, I want you to be your best." Llednar clutched one of the studs on his right-hand glove, twisting it slightly. He did the same to the other stud on that glove. Neji gasped as, before his very eyes, the skin on Llednar's right hand turned a light, crystal-like shade of blue. 'So it begins… 61 Percent… At this point, the transformation to my true form begins…' "Now," Llednar said, his eyes becoming less controlled, more wild. "I'll show you… What I can do." He drew his sword, which started to glow. Neji stared at it, as did Hinata, Riku, and Hiashi.

'That... That sword…' Hiashi thought.

'So much Chakra… or… is it…' Hinata's eyes widened.

'Is it even Chakra at all?' Neji finished his musings.

"Power of Eradication…" Llednar started, and the 'Chakra' began to take physical form. "Gather at the tip of this blade…" Llednar took the sword in both hands as the power flew about. Neji stepped back, eyes widening.

"What is this?" He asked. However, Llednar ignored him, choosing instead to continue his speech.

"Hoist yourself to the brightest light…" The sword glowed as the very air and, indeed, light in the room started to gravitate towards the blade. "Then plunge into the deepest darkness…" The sword seemed to listen, and for what seemed to be years, all sources of light cast darkness while all sources of darkness cast light. Everyone saw, regardless of their current life expectancy, their entire life flash before their eyes. Llednar grinned, revealing that his teeth had become sharper, one even becoming the same crystal that his hand had become. Slowly, the blue spread over different parts of his body. "Omega!" As soon as he had stated it, Riku backed away, wanting nothing to do with the attack. Llednar launched towards Neji who, in an act of desperation, leapt out of the way, causing Llednar to miss. Llednar instead thrust his sword into the wall, and as the lighting returned to normal, everyone noticed that, in one cracking sound, two things had happened.

A small chunk of the wall had been obliterated, even down to the atoms that made it up. In the same way, Llednar had lost some of his skin, and a small chunk of the crystal tooth had vanished. Llednar growled in slight pain as his hand, which had lost enough skin to allow it, was bleeding blue blood. However, even through his pain, he smirked at Neji, who was busy trying to get up. In a flash of speed that matched Lee without his weights, Llednar had kicked Neji back to the ground. He did this again and again, until the Hyuuga Branch Member was cornered against the wall. Llednar pointed his sword at him. Neji stared, absolutely in horror.

"…" Llednar seemed to be thinking. "… What a waste of time. You're not worth my effort… Tch…" He put his hand back on the studs, twisting them back to their usual location. "Hardly worth me fighting at 66 Percent. I wanted a challenge…" He turned to the proctor. "I forfeit."

"WHAT!?" Hinata couldn't help herself, jaw dropping. 'What is he thinking? He could have won!' She thought, absolutely shocked that someone like Llednar would ever forfeit a match, especially such an important fight as this.

"When I become a Chunin, I want it to be after I faced the kind of foe that was able to challenge my power, and still won. This whelp isn't that kind of foe. I quit." He walked away as his skin returned to its normal color, as did his blood. His face had returned to its normal, cold façade. He glanced to his Lady in the stands.

'Remedi… Is this what you expected of me?' Not to his surprise, the woman nodded.

'I expected nothing less… My Llednar."

* * *

"… Dude… Dude… Focus, dude… Dude…"

"… Xigbar?"

"Ah, he lives! How're you doing?"

Naruto got up, looking about in confusion. "Where… Where am I?" He saw naught but darkness in all directions, save for below him, where could see that he was on a stained glass platform similar to the one in the part of his heart that Organization XIII spent their time. The picture that the glass made depicted himself standing back to back with a young man who wore a black, short-sleeved vest and baggy pants. The man's eyes were closed, hiding their color, but Naruto could see the spiky brown hair that adorned his head clear as day. Standing beside each of them, stretching across the plains they stood in, a countless number of people. Naruto wasn't sure about the ones next to the brown-haired person, but when he looked at the people standing next to himself, he could easily recognize people he had met in his life. He could easily recognize the shy yet brave profile of Hinata, the aloof facades of Sasuke and Llednar, and the kind, accepting smiles of Riku, Iruka, and the Third. Other faces were there too, including Haku and Zabuza, sitting in the line while apparently talking to each other, and, to his disgust, the hateful smile of Mizuki and the almost lustful smile of Orochimaru. At the edges of the horizon, the sky had two different hues: On Naruto's side, the sky burned red as the Kyuubi rampaged below, and on the other person's side, the sky was midnight black only disturbed by a heart-shaped moon.

"Well… We're not sure. Xemnas and the others had me stay here and watch you while they checked up ahead." Xigbar shrugged.

"Up ahead?" Naruto asked, completely dumbfounded.

"Yeah," Xigbar pointed past Naruto, who turned around to face a white door. "I was told to stick with you, and to help you if you decide to go after them."

"… Well, let's go." Naruto said, gesturing Xigbar to follow as he headed for the door.

"Uh…"

"What?"

"You might not want to go as you are now, dude." Xigbar was sniggering. Naruto raised an eyebrow until Xigbar gestured for him to look down. He blushed as he realized that he was wearing nothing except for his boxers.

"Uh…" Naruto laughed nervously as he used the darkness to make new clothing similar to the Organization's coats. "Heheh… Please don't tell me Larxene saw me like that?"

"Nothing she hasn't seen before…" Xigbar grinned as he walked past the boy toward the door. Naruto followed, stammering incoherently.

When they made it to the next room, Naruto called up his weapons, just in case. Except… Nothing happened.

"Eh?" He tried summoning his claws again, but nothing happened.

"It is not possible, chosen one…" Naruto gasped at the unfamiliar voice, and turned around. A robed and hooded woman was standing on this platform, which was the same as the last one. "You must awaken alone."

"Where's Organization XIII?" Naruto glanced about, suddenly realizing that Xigbar had disappeared.

"They're out of your sight, for now. Do not worry, they are safe. However, there are more important matters… There is a great power inside you. We both know this… If you give it new form, it can help you…" The woman spread out her arms as three objects appeared. One was a kunai, which glowed with a deadly red light. Next to it was a scroll with a blue seal on it. The item next to that was a small gauntlet with yellow plating. "Choose wisely." Her mouth, the only part of her he could see under the clothing, was formed into a smile. She faded away, leaving Naruto to choose. Naruto closed his eyes.

"Okay… Why do I get the feeling this is VERY important?"

* * *

Fiona squinted, trying to regain her sense of balance as Kin shook the bells behind her again.

'I have to get out of this…' She looked about, thinking of any way she could escape from this trap. She searched until she came up with an idea. She started forming hand seals. 'Let this work…' "Katon: Ryuka no Justu! (Dragon Fire Technique)" She breathed fire, spewing it at every cable she could see, hoping to find the one that wasn't an illusion. She succeeded, forcing Kin to abandon the string and attempt a different approach. Fiona smirked, jumping backwards as she unhooked her spear from its place on her back. She formed a single seal. "Supea no Alfitaria: Doragan Chouyaku Justu! (Spear of Alfitaria: Dragon Leap Justu)" She pumped Chakra into her legs as she jumped into the air, instantly rocketing her above Kin. "Doragan Tsume! (Dragon Claw)" Fiona dived from above, landing on the opponent while simultaneously slashing at her with the spear. She jumped off and sent Kin straight into the ground, unconscious. She landed, brushing herself off. "Well, that was easy…"

The Hokage coughed slightly, calling the Genin to him.

"Now that that is done, we will sort you for the next rounds, which will happen in a month. I trust you will spend that time getting some new tricks?" The ninja nodded. "Good…"

The sorting was done by drawing lots, with Riku drawing form Naruto and Kakashi drawing for Sasuke. Finally, the battles were set:

**Hinata vs. Neji**

Hinata glanced at her cousin, knowing that she mustn't lose.

Meanwhile, Neji glared back with utter hate for sins committed against the branch family by the main family…

**Shikamaru vs. Temari**

"Another girl? How troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed.

**Astaroth vs. Yun-Seong**

"Oh, crap," Yun-Seong said, looking green "Uh, can we have a redo?"

"No," The Hokage replied.

"Damn…"

**Naruto vs. Sakura**

Sakura trembled, remembering what Naruto had done in his match.

**Fiona vs. Shino**

"Well… That's good, I guess," Fiona muttered.

**Mid vs. Sasuke**

"How about me and Astaroth swap places?" Mid suggested, slightly freaking out.

"No. All matches are final." The Hokage took a puff on his pipe. "Now, that means Dosu gets seeded." He closed his eyes. "Okay, it is time that you all get to work." The genin nodded, and went their separate ways…

* * *

"Hmm… Divination Circle… It could work…" Llednar muttered to himself as the medic ninja was tending his wounds…

* * *

"**Great… I can't believe I'm stuck with this pervert! I mean, I'm happy for Hinata, but…"**

_**Next Time on XIII Ninja: The Uber Pervert, Jiraiya, Arrives! Hinata's Special Training!**_

"**Stupid Pervert! When are you going to teach me something?"**

* * *

"The end… of the Prelims… It's all downhill from here… crap. Is anyone else anticipating the English release of the Sasuke Retrieval Arc? I can't wait. However, the 50-something filler episodes after that… I don't like the idea of that. I can tolerate it, but still… that's like, what, about a year of filler? This is why, for the most part, I'm skipping most of the post-SRA filler in XIII Ninja. Also, for plot reasons, I have to relocate what filler I spare to before the SRA. You'll understand when it happens." 


	21. The Uber Pervert, Jiraiya, Arrives!

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

"…"

Shadow and Link: (glaring death at James) "…"

"… Look, guys. I'm just as ticked about what I did as you are."

Shadow and Link: "…" (Still glaring)

"I mean, I LIKED Aryll and Amy. I didn't WANT to do that, but I had to, for plot reasons."

Shadow and Link: "…" (Guess what they're still doing.)

"… Come ON! I need you guys!"

Shadow: "Yeah, until you don't. Then you kill us off in some grisly or sad way."

"... I'm sorry! Come on, guys!"

Link: "Why haven't you killed off one of Sora's friends, huh?"

Shadow: "What, is he your favorite?"

"No! I mean, really, no. Look at what I did to him in all my other fics. Killed in this one, killed in ONNaO, tortured mentally and crippled in GoW…"

Shadow: "… Hmph." (Chaos Controls away.)

Link: (Walks off.)

"… On to the Fic."

* * *

Quote: _"And I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence: two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."-_Robert Frost, _"The Road not Taken"_

* * *

"So, Jiraiya… What sort of training do you intend to give him?" Riku asked as he walked through a portal of Darkness. Jiraiya sighed. 

"How do you teach someone to not fear a monster's Chakra, much less control it?"

"I'm… Not sure myself. I'm experienced with using power that was not mine to begin with, but this… this is different. The previous owner of my power was easy to gain control of. The Kyuubi… a whole different story."

"Damnit, why did I ever agree to this?"

"Because you didn't want me revealing that you're… researching… around here." Riku smirked as he pointed with his thumb at the Hot Springs only a few yards away.

"… You got me. He should probably start by learning better Chakra Control in general."

"Yeah… Well, I've got to go."

"Eh?"

"I have my own student to train for the Chunin Exams…" Riku said as he disappeared.

"… I really don't like you, Riku."

_

* * *

The Uber Pervert, Jiraiya, Arrives! Hinata's Special Training!_

* * *

Hinata sighed as she walked to the training field the day after the Prelims. Naruto had still not resurfaced since he had been taken away by Riku. 

"You worried?" Hinata turned around in shock to face Llednar. He walked past her, seemingly nonchalant about the bandages on his sword arm and face.

"… Yeah."

"You really shouldn't be. Your cousin… he's weak. If you were to unlock your true strength, he would not stand a chance."

"Eh?" Hinata hadn't even been thinking about the match that was due to happen in about a month.

"… Ah. You aren't worried about the match. It's Naruto." Llednar laughed. "Like I said, you really shouldn't worry. He's fine. In the Hospital, recovering from the Forest of Death experience and his fight with Gaara, but fine. You should really focus on yourself. Everything else will fall into place, should you be ready for it."

"Well… What about you? Do you really think you should be training with those wounds?"

"I'll be fine. I focused so that I was just giving up the upper layers of my skin and tooth. Now, if I had been using it at full power, then you might need to worry." He laughed again. "Like I said, just focus on yourself, and I'll focus on myself. Naruto will focus on himself, and we'll all be ready for whatever happens." He waved a dismissive hand as he parted ways with Hinata. However, after a few steps he stopped. "Though, I might need a little help with some training I'm planning. However, that can wait until you've finished your training." He then left. Hinata looked down, musing her strange friend's words, and went toward Training Area 13…

* * *

Naruto sat in the darkness, pondering the three objects before him. First, he glanced at the kunai. At once, images of power and glory flashed before him. He saw himself back on the Bridge, in utter bliss as he annihilated the foolish thugs who dared to face him. He saw himself standing over thousands of bowing people as their leader… as their Hokage. However, in those same images, he saw himself sending his friends to their deaths. He saw himself standing over their graves, with the only tears he shed being for the power they held. 

"Is power to defeat foes truly what you desire?" The voice from before asked. "Is that most important?"

He averted his gaze and chose instead to observe the scroll. Again, he saw images, but instead of himself destroying foes, he saw him and his team studying new Justu. That didn't sound too bad… Until he saw himself performing experiments on other people to try and extract their secrets. He saw himself in a room, studying, unaware of what was happening in the rest of the world. In the end, he watched himself, as Hokage, wasted away and pale, but with all the knowledge in the worlds. And that was what mattered, right?

"Is knowledge so important to you that you would throw away everything you knew for it?"

"…" Naruto looked at the Gauntlet, and saw himself, protecting his friend from needles from the sky. He saw himself growing older, always watching over his friends and future family, even if it forced him to watch from afar. In the end, he saw himself, old and battle-scarred, with the title of Hokage, falling as he protected those he cared about. He saw himself lying down, dead, with everyone he had met in life standing over him, sorrowful of his death but alive and unharmed.

"As the wall, you would give your existence to protect these people. You would suffer for all your life. However, the ones you care for will stay safe. Would you give your dreams and happiness away so that others would have it instead?"

"… I… I don't know."

"Then you will still sleep. This world needs you. Only you, with the power of nothingness, can overcome the evil that hides forever in darkness and taints those in the light. You must choose eventually, for only awakened can you hope to defeat the true evil… The ones who seek the great keys…"

* * *

Naruto awoke, sweating all over. "What… What just happened? Guys?"

"I'm… Not sure." Xemnas submitted. "As soon as we went through that door, we… well, I'm just as confused about what happened."

Vexen shook his head. "It seems that there is something else for me to experiment on… But for now you should go see Riku about getting some training in. I'm pretty sure that Hinata is worried about you, too." Vexen added slyly.

"He's right," Axel said. "From what I can estimate, we've been out for a day."

"A day?! Oh, man, I hope they haven't had the Finals without me!" Naruto jumped out of the bed and ran out to the waiting room, eventually bumping into Riku.

"Whoa, Naruto, what's the rush?" Riku asked, smirking.

"Riku-sensei! Don't tell me that-"

"Wait. First of all, what did I say about calling me by fancy titles? Second, I know what you're going to ask. Don't worry, the Finals are in about a month, and you'll be facing Haruno Sakura. The rest of the stats are posted at the Academy. In the meantime, I've got someone to train you for the finals…"

"Eh? Wha-What do you mean by someone to train me? I thought you were my sensei?"

"Well, yeah, but really… Hinata is in the Finals as well, and I can't train you both at the same time. So, I've arranged to have a friend of mine train you."

"Hel-LOO THERE!" Anko popped out from out of nowhere. Naruto jumped back.

"Yeesh! Give me a heart attack, why don't you?"

"Sorry, couldn't resist."

"Riku, please tell me that she's not the one who's going to train me. Please." Naruto begged.

"She's not the one who's going to train you. However, she will be escorting you to the one who IS going to train you."

"Why is it that I've got a bad feeling about this?" Zexion asked.

"Maybe it's the scantily-clad woman who's taking us to see Naruto's new sensei," Roxas suggested.

"Of course, you're the one who points that out, Roxas," Axel laughed as he poked Roxas in the rib. "Don't you already have a girl?"

"Oh, come on! I'm allowed to window shop as long as I only charge to one store, right?" Roxas asked. (The one who can tell me where I got that from in a PM gets props and an omake in their dedication. But remember, keep the omake idea T-rated...)

"… Dude, that's wrong," Xigbar said, backing away from the Keybearer.

Xemnas sighed. "Besides, she's already taken, remember?"

"By a guy who wouldn't hesitate to find a way in here and hit you," Demyx added.

"You've got a point there…" Roxas mused as Naruto left with Anko.

* * *

"… Oh, baby… Oh yeah… that's right, get all nice and comfy…" 

"WHAT THE-" Jiraiya fell from his post on a tree limb at Naruto's outburst.

"ACK! What the hell was that for- Oh, crap," Jiraiya twitched at the massive killing intent being sent his way. He looked up at the window he had been observing, only to see that a woman in a towel was standing at it, glaring pure death at him. It only hurt his chances of survival that the woman glaring at him was none other than the mother of one Nara Shikamaru, proclaimed by her son to be 'the most troublesome woman' he has ever met, and that standing in the tree he had been in was Mitarashi Anko, who was well known as a very dangerous ninja. The latter had a wicked smile on her face, one that promised suffering. He could also feel incalculable amounts of killing intent coming from somewhere inside the boy who had exposed him.

In fact, he could almost hear a very feminine voice in the depths of his soul, saying: "Stupid pervert… Let me out, Naruto, so I can give him a taste of true suffering…" Naruto seemed to be stunned with fear as well.

* * *

After five minutes of pure pain, Jiraiya laid on the ground, pinned down by several Kunai. He also had a large bruise on both his cheeks and a large, frying-pan induced welt on his forehead. 

"This is supposed to be the guy who teaches me?" Naruto asked skeptically. 'I'd have a better chance training with Larxene when she's ticked…'

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

'Nothing, nothing…' Naruto mentally stammered. "So, what now?"

Jiraiya got up, rubbing his head. "Well… I guess we'll have to wait a while to get to actual training… Oh, my head…" He looked at Naruto and noted his characteristics. 'So… This is the son of the Fourth… I wonder if anyone's told him… Hm.'

"Uh… What are you staring at me for?" Naruto asked, backing away slowly. "Creepy old pervert…"

"Would you not call me that?" He asked as Anko smirked. "Okay, Anko, you can leave now. I'll have this kid ready for combat in a month, guaranteed."

"You better not corrupt him, Old Perv," Anko said as she left.

"Hmm… Well, Naruto, was it? How about we find a training area so I can see what you already know."

"Got it!" Naruto said after a good deal of thinking, opening a portal of darkness. "I think this place would be good." He stepped through, and Jiraiya followed after a small bit of hesitation.

"Well well, what's this?" Jiraiya asked as he came out of the portal.

"This is my own little training area. I used to train here all the time, until I started training at the Academy..." Naruto said, smiling. 'And this is where I met Hinata…' "It was destroyed by the Kyuubi around the time I was born, but I… I don't really get why, but this place in particular always used to make me feel… good."

"I see…" Jiraiya mused. 'I wonder if he realizes… This place is the very spot where the Kyuubi was sealed… Interesting… And what's this?" He looked at the center of the crater, where a single tree was growing. Naruto noticed his stare, and smiled.

"Oh, yeah… That's…"

* * *

_Naruto peered at the little mound, almost as if he was expecting something._

"_So, Hinata, when do you think it will grow?" He asked his friend._

"_Um, Naruto… I… I think it takes longer than a couple seconds to make a tree grow. Let alone a Cherry Blossom Tree…"_

"_Aw, man… That stinks." He sighed and walked away from the little mound of dirt. "So, uh, Hinata… How about we stop by Ichiraku Ramen before we head home?"_

_Hinata looked up at the sky, checking how much time she had before she was supposed to be home. She smiled. "… Okay." As the two left, a small part of their mind remained on the small mound… "So, I hear you're entering the Academy…"_

"_Yeah. I'm going to become a great ninja, Believe it!"_

* * *

"Me and my friend planted a tree on my last day here…" Naruto said, looking at the tree. "Wow, I didn't think it would get this big!" 

'That tree… He planted it before he went to the Academy, but… It's bigger, more mature than I'd expect it to be given that timeframe… Hmm… That is odd…' Jiraiya mused. He looked at the Sakura flowers. 'And… Those flowers are blooming out of season… Odd indeed… But very romantic!' His inner, perverted mind laughed. "So, Naruto, let's see… What kind of Justu can you use? I mean, other than the basics?"

"Umm… Oh, yeah! I can do this!" Naruto created a few shadow clones, and they all summoned up their claws. "I can also travel through portals, like you saw, and climb trees without my hands!" Naruto bragged, showing of both abilities.

"I see… Well, I wonder… Can you… Walk on water?"

"Water… You can do that?" Naruto gaped.

"Yeah! It's just a little different from the tree climbing, and it helps with chakra control… And from what Riku's told me, you have a need to control your powers." Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, growing serious.

"… He… He told you?" Naruto asked hesitatingly. "He told you about..."

"Yes. He tells me that you're afraid of that power. That other force, the Kyuubi's power that lives inside you…"

"Stop it!" Naruto growled warningly. "I don't need that power! I…"

"If you're going to go any further, you need to learn how to control it."

"NO!" Naruto yelled back. 'I won't… I won't risk that! No way!'

"Naruto, I know you fear that power. That's why it can control you so easily. You have to stand up like a man, like a true shinobi." Jiraiya cast off the look of the perverted idiot and, for once, stuck on his nature as one of the Three Legendary Ninja. "If you don't, that power could consume you when you least expect it. If you learn control, you'll be able to fight back against that power." He saw that this wasn't working. 'Well, I'll give him this much, he's as stubborn as his mother was…' "Naruto… You have to make a decision. It may turn out some day that you will need to use the Kyuubi's power to protect your friends and your home. Another time, it may come about that the Kyuubi tries to control you, and you need to block its influence. If one of those times come and you aren't able to do act accordingly… What happens wil be all on your head."

"Shut up!" Naruto charged, enraged, at the Sannin. "You don't understand at all!" He swiped at Jiraiya, who dodged. "You can't see what it's like! You don't know me!"

"On the contrary, Naruto… I know you all too well." Jiraiya caught an attack and threw Naruto to the ground. Naruto growled, and his whiskers began to grow.

"_YOU DON'T!"_ He disappeared in a stream of darkness and dived from above, bandages burning away as the fur aligned along his arms. Jiraiya dodged and jumped away. _"Can you see me now? Can you understand how it feels to be like this? To only be a few steps away from the darkness __**that burns away at my spirit?"**_Naruto growled, eyes now burning red. **_"Can you feel the fury of the demon inside me? Now tell me… How am I supposed to control this?"_** He roared the question.

"… You're right… I can't completely understand how it feels to lose control. I just know that you must able to control that power. If you do not, then someone else might decide to control it for you. Someone who might use it to harm those you care about."

"_Naruto… I have something for you. Close your eyes."_

"_I'm no kid! The name's Konohamaru and… I want to be your student. I __**demand**__ that you teach me!"_

_"I... see. You really aren't that smart sometimes, are you?"_

"Is that something you really want to risk?"

Naruto growled, preparing to shut this fool up once and for all…

"_Stop it, Naruto!"_

Naruto's eyes widened at the memory, and he stopped mid-lunge and returned to normal.

'That's right… Hinata… I used the Kyuubi's power to save her, didn't I? I forgot all about that… maybe… Maybe it _would_ be smart for me to learn how to control it…' He stood up, the claws disappearing as he returned to normal again. "Okay… I don't suppose you have a plan to teach me how to control it, right?"

"… Hmm…" Jiraiya sighed. "Well, it seems that at the very least, we know how to summon the demon chakra. When you summon up enough anger, it draws up the Kyuubi's chakra as well…"

"Well, duh. We could have told you that," Zexion said, brushing himself off form having been thrown about by the Kyuubi's chakra. "Now, how do we call it up without knocking yours truly around like a pinball?"

"Maybe by you being sturdier," Lexeaus muttered, having remained in one spot by planting himself to the ground.

"Very funny, rockhead. Unfortunately, not all of us are all muscle, no brains…" Zexion replied, venting off some anger.

"What was that?" Lexeaus seethed.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… I don't think any of us dudes need to get into a fight like this…" Xigbar said, trying to break up the fight that was about to ensue.

"All muscle, no brains… you know, lots of stuff that makes you big, no stuff that makes you smart…"

"Bookworm!"

"Inept Imbecile!"

"Uh, dudes…"

"Geek!"

"Babbling Buffoon!"

"Dudes…"

"WHY YOU LITTLE-!" Lexeaus summoned his tomahawk and threw it at Zexion.

"Is that the best you've got?" Zexion countered with a blast of pages. The two attacks hit each other and exploded…

Right where Xigbar was standing.

"Dudes… I'm going to kill you now." Xigbar growled as he pulled out his guns, pointing one at each of the two of them. Roxas looked at Axel and Xemnas.

"Uh, Axel?"

"Yeah?"

"Shouldn't we like, stop them? You know, before they cause some serious damage?"

"… Maybe." Xemnas muttered, looking up from Make out Paradise.

Axel laughed. "Don't worry 'bout it. It's already covered..."

"Huh?"

"You IDIOTS!" Larxene blasted the trio, leaving all three on the ground, sparking with electricity. "I was getting some beauty sleep, and you disturbed it!" she gave a "humph" and went back to her little corner before sleeping again.

"… And when you think of your friends, it dispels the chakra?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah…"

"Well, now we just have to work on you learning how to control yourself while in that form, and we're set!"

"Yeah!"

"But first, I'm going to teach you how to walk on water…"

* * *

Hinata almost collapsed from chakra exhaustion as she walked home after a long day of training. Quickly regaining her balance, Hinata stood again on her own two feet, leaning against a wall. 

"I never knew that Riku-sensei could be such a slave driver… Well, at least I know I'll be ready for the Chunin Exam Finals with _that_ move…" She sighed. "If I don't die from the training first…" It was odd, though... The moment that he had showed her _that _move... she had wanted, more than anything, to create a move like it. When she revealed this to Riku, he laughed, as though he had known all along that she would have wanted to do that...

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto was still training at the river, Jiraiya leaning against a tree. "Come on… Come on… Yes!" Naruto jumped up and down as he stood on the water happily. "Heheh… I got it! Yahoo! Whoopee! Hahahahahahaha!" 

"Good… Next, we're going to have you try it while in demon fox form. Remember, 30 minutes on the water, without dropping in."

"WHAT!? But… How the hell am I going to do that!?"

"I have a theory: If you just summon up a memory of you being real angry, it will call up the demon chakra, and then simply dispel the memory, and you won't have any rage left."

"WHAT?! You think it's just going to be that easy, dattebayo?" Naruto asked.

"Think about it. Every time that you've used the Kyuubi's chakra, you've been angry. And every time you've used the chakra, you've been controlled by your anger. If there's no real anger to deal with, then you can't be controlled by that anger…"

"Ugh… Fine, whatever!" Naruto tried it, thinking of the Gaara taunting him, holding Hinata against the wall… There it was, that same feeling… He felt his claws summon themselves, the bandages burning away and revealing paws… he looked at his reflection, and gasped at how he looked, his eyes now crimson, his hair wild, and the whiskers growing… He stared at it in awe, and turned his mind away from the memory, instead shocked at his appearance. _"This is… this is me…"_ He stated. He gazed at his appearance in wonder, having never actually seen himself before… He had destroyed the crystal ice mirrors before getting a good look at what was on them, and he had never transformed near a mirror or anything else after that… He then remembered what he was supposed to do, and focused his chakra. He then stepped on the water. However, he put too much chakra into his feet and overbalanced, falling face first into the water. _"Damnit… this is going to take a while…"_

"Think of it like this, Naruto…" Jiraiya suggested. "The Kyuubi not only has more Chakra, but it's chakra is also much more powerful, so you need less chakra to get the same effects as when you use your own, normal chakra." 'Now, how much less is another matter entirely… Just how powerful is the Kyuubi's Chakra? Meh… I'll let him figure it out on his own…' "Remember, you aren't going to go home until you can do this technique so well that you can do it normally both with and without the Kyuubi's chakra!"

Naruto blew a raspberry at him, looking absolutely ridiculous when coupled with his current position laying in the water and the usually intimidating form he took with the Kyuubi's power. However, he did as he was told, getting back on his feet and focusing his chakra. This time, he managed a minute before losing control.

"Heh… He's getting control…" Jiraiya murmured.

* * *

"I realize it now… Orochimaru didn't mean for us to kill Sasuke… He wanted to test his power… Fine then… I'll still kill him… As you ordered, Orochimaru-sama!" Dosu laughed sarcastically. However, as he turned the corner, he bumped into someone. "Watch where you're… going…" He gulped at the towering hulk of a man that was Astaroth… 

"Heh, heh, heh…"

"… AGGHHHHHHHH!!!"

* * *

Sakura sighed as she walked home from her training with Ebisu. She had learned how to walk on water, and was to start learning how to use her impressive chakra control in other ways tomorrow... But she still didn't see how she was supposed to even hope of winning against Naruto…

* * *

Llednar smirked as he looked at the destruction that he himself had created. Trees and stones laid everywhere about him, broken to pieces by his newest Justu… "Heh… to think that it was so easy as to learn how to use a Divination Circle… Hm… But it's still too slow for moving targets…"

* * *

Riku smiled as he sat next to Anko at a movie theater. 

"So, how'd training go?"

"Pretty good, actually… But I don't think she honestly believes herself truly capable of beating Neji…"

"Well… Maybe that will change. And besides, that where one of the basics of being a Chunin is all about. Even if there's no chance of her winning, she can't back down from her goal…"

"… Yeah, she knows. But it doesn't change that she's scared to death of actually going against her cousin… So, how'd Naruto's training go? You did watch from just out of sight according to the specifications I gave you, right?"

"Yeah… Naruto went into his demon fox form."

"Oh, that can't be good."

"Yeah, but he went back before any harm was done. He's been training with Jiraiya since then… Trying to learn how to walk on water, when I left at dusk. He was at it for an hour or so..."

"Ah… Sounds like those two are getting along."

"More or less…"

* * *

Naruto collapsed in the river, returning to normal. "Man… who knew that controlling some stupid fox's chakra could be so damn hard…" 

"Well… How about we call it a night for now, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, picking the boy up and laying him down on the shore. "Of course you aren't going home, but I've got some sleeping bags." He opened a scroll and summoned a red sleeping bag and a brown one. "Now, Naruto, let's get you out of those, other wise you'll catch a cold… Eh?" As he removed Naruto's jacket from the unconscious boy, it disappeared. His pants transformed into ragged, slightly ripped shorts. He noted that the shorts themselves had senbon holes in them. About the same thing happened to Naruto's shirt, and he could only guess the same for his boxers. The only items that stayed the same were his ninja gear pouches, his headband, and a battered star-shaped necklace that had been around his neck. "… Well, that's definitely odd…" He muttered. "I know Naruto would have plenty of money from being a ninja… but these… hm. I'll have to ask Riku about this…" He hung the clothing on a tree branch and left in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

"Rags?" Riku asked, trying to hide a slight snarl in his voice. 

"Rags," Jiraiya replied.

"What's that mean?" Anko asked.

"That idiot… He's been using the darkness to alter his clothing… No wonder they never stay damaged… I'll need to talk to him about that when he wakes up. Even though they didn't look it, the quality of the clothes he can make is, at best the equivalent of the clothing he made them from, as well as the darkness on hand… Almost no protection against the cold, or swords… All this time, the little punk's practically been wearing rags and we haven't even realized it. I should have guessed…" He rambled.

"Well, when he wakes up, I'll have a word with him myself. Don't worry, Riku." Jiraiya smirked and left.

"Damn kid, always compounding problems for himself because he won't let others know about them… Why didn't Organization XIII tell me?" He slammed his fist against the wall.

"He probably told them not to." Anko muttered. "He seems pretty stubborn…"

"… Well, that's a point against them." Riku grumbled, crossing his arms. "Can't believe he hid it so well…"

"Well, while we're waiting, we can get him some new clothing…"

"… Yeah, and I think I know where to go for that. Excuse me for interrupting our date, but I'll be back." Riku waved and went through a portal of darkness.

* * *

Hinata woke up feeling refreshed and ready to continue training. She sighed as she walked out of her room, remembering that she had fell asleep before she even had gotten out of her clothes. Her stomach quickly reminded her that she hadn't eaten either. She walked up to Naruto's room and knocked. 

"You won't get an answer." Hinata spun on her heel in surprise as Hyuuga Hanabi, her sister, walked up behind her. "He didn't come home last night, and your teacher came asking for a change of clothing for him an hour after you got home. He looked really ticked."

"Huh?"

"Hey, don't look at me for answers. He didn't say what had him so angry."

"… Oh."

"He did say that as always, you were to meet him at Training Area 13." Hanabi smirked. "Maybe you can ask him there."

"… Thank you, sister."

"No problem," She walked off. "Oh, and our chef is ticked too. Something about you missing dinner. Says you better show up for breakfast, _or else._" Hanabi finished her warning in a creepy tone. Hinata's eyes widened. Their cook, Hyuuga Karaboshi, was horrifyingly proud of his uses of the Byakugan… for cooking. He was happy to share his know-how with anyone who asked, had even taught Hinata some of his cooking techniques. However, as Naruto had learned on his early days in the Hyuuga Compound, Karaboshi was easily annoyed by people who "Did not realize the greatness of his art."

Even so, even Naruto had to admit that his dishes were some of the best around. This was why Hinata quickly dashed to the bathroom, brushed her hair, and ran to the dining room...

* * *

"Well, about time you got up, Naruto," Riku growled. 

"Hey, I trained my butt off yesterday. I'm pretty sure I ran out of chakra, too. What do you want?" Naruto growled, but quickly shut up when he noticed that his clothes, in their true form, were hanging on the branches a small distance away.

"Now, Naruto, would you explain to the class why on earth did you choose to hide the fact that you lacked even one good piece of clothing?" Riku asked, his voice getting dangerously sweet.

"Uh…"

"And Xemnas, I'm talking to you, too. You had plenty of chances. Why didn't you tell me anything about this?"

Xemnas, who had just gotten up, twitched as he felt pure killing intent. '…Well, in the words of today's generation, this sucks.'

"Well… We're waiting," Jiraiya grumbled.

"…" Naruto looked away. "You shouldn't trouble yourselves."

"Well, we are. Want to know why? Because you are our student," Riku said, his voice neutral. "How long have you lived like this?"

"…"

"I'll take that as an answer I don't want to hear." Riku sighed. "Here. I think it's time you had a new wardrobe anyways." Riku threw a pair of grey pants, a black ninja shirt, and a grey jacket. "And if they get damaged, I'll know about it. Got it?" Naruto nodded as he put them on. "Good. Now, I'm going to head to our usual training area to wait for Hinata. You better follow Jiraiya's instructions to the letter. I am disappointed in you, Naruto..." Riku walked away. "That goes for you and your little club too, Xemnas."

Xemnas twitched again and nodded, though he knew Riku couldn't see.

Naruto finished putting on his clothes and began to use the Darkness to change them to his liking. The open jacket retained the Hyuuga Symbol on the right shoulder, but the left shoulder had another circle with the Nobody Symbol on it. The back had his spiral symbol, though at the edges of it were the kanji counting up from I to XIII in a clockwise manner. The jacket also gained several navy straps going along the sleeves. Under that, the shirt remained the same, accenting the battered Oathkeeper Keychain around his neck. His pants remained the same, though they too gained straps, these rising along the sides of the legs, with two short ones making an X-shape over his knees. Hanging from his side was a small chain, at the center of which was a small Nobody Symbol. He looked at his reflection and smirked. Even though he was annoyed at Riku for not letting him be, he also felt thankful that the guy had been kind enough to help him…

These clothes were physical proof that he wasn't alone.

"_Well, let's get started already, dattebayo!"_ He said, walking into his anger without fear, knowing that his friends would always be there to pull him back out.

* * *

Hinata frowned as she finally go the story from Riku. "You mean to say that he's…" 

"Yeah, but I changed that. Don't worry, he won't be trying to fool us again…"

"Why couldn't my Byakugan see through the illusion?"

"Because, it wasn't an actual illusion, per say. He just gathered darkness and used it to alter the form his clothes took, at least while they were on him or when he was focusing his will on them…"

"Then surely the doctors at the hospital would have…" Her eyes narrowed in realization and anger.

"… Hmph… I think that's enough speculation for now. You have a match to prepare for…" Riku said, though his mind was seething.

* * *

"… _I think… I think I've got it!"_ Naruto grinned a week later, _"I think I've figured out the range of chakra I need to use! Hehehe!"_ He smirked as he did somersaults on the water, splashing water into the dusk-tinted sky. Jiraiya smirked. 

'Heh… Now that he's been in that form and sees that he can control it, He's lost almost all fear for it. He really is something else… Heh!' "Okay, Naruto, back to the shore!" Naruto spun around and jumped back to the shore, landing on all fours. "Now, I'm going to show you a special technique..." He trailed off as he looked about. "Hmm… Ah, there!" He pointed at a small toad on a rock.

"Eh? What's a frog got to do with training?"

"A lot. Naruto… The technique I'm going to show you takes a lot of Chakra to be very effective, more than your normal form can currently muster. Therefore, until you build up more chakra in your normal reserves, this technique is only for when you're… Eh? Eh, Eh, Eh?" He gazed past a bunch of bushes. In a small lake just beyond the bushes, a small group of women were playing about. In bikinis. And they didn't even notice that another group was just beyond the bushes! 'Sorry Naruto, this is too good a chance to pass up!' He dashed across the river and to the bushes, spying on the girls. He pulled out a small notebook and started taking notes.

Naruto groaned. "What now?"

Xemnas face-palmed. "Well, this is fantastic."

Larxene trembled with pure rage, held back by Marluxia, Luxord, Xaldin, and Lexeaus. "Let me at 'im! LET ME AT 'IM!" She screeched, trying to break free.

"She's too much for us! We need backup!" Lexeaus said. He looked imploringly at Axel, who was blowing bubblegum, and Demyx, who was writing a new tune.

Axel popped the bubble, splattering it all over his face. He then chewed it up, back into his mouth. "… Huh, me?" Axel asked. He burst out into laughter. "No way! She's Death when she gets like this! Not happening! Got it Memorized? D-E-A-T-H!"

Demyx looked up, then looked back down. "I've got an elemental disadvantage on this. Sorry."

Xemnas sighed. "This guy… He likes women far too much for his own good…"

This sparked an idea in Naruto. He started forming a hand seal…

"Oh, this is great…" Jiraiya grinned.

"Hey, big guy…" Jiraiya froze at the sound and the gentle, _bare_ arms around his waist. "Why don't you pay any attention to me?" He turned around slowly, to face the wonderful blond woman now pressed against his chest. "Oh, you're so _warm…_"

* * *

The women at the waterfall continued to frolic, not noticing the old man with the nosebleed of the century just beyond the bushes…

* * *

"… And this is the one and only Ichiraku Ramen Stand, favorite eating place of Uzumaki Naruto." 

"And of Sasuke Uchiha… kissing Naruto."

"… You know, for just that moment, I regretted bringing you to this world, Emerald…" The author sighed.

"You know, for once, I wish you would just _stay_ out of this story." James froze in shock at the dangerous voice behind him and his sister. "Kakashi, would you do the honors?"

"Crap."

"_Sennen Goroshi!"_

"I'll be baaaaaaaaack!"

"_Sennen Goroshi!"_

"PEEERRVVVEEEERRRRRT!"

"Thank you, thank you… Now, I need to go back and train Sasuke."

"By all means."

* * *

"Yo… Pervy Sage…" Naruto asked. "You still alive? Did I give you a heart attack?" 

"Please be a heart attack, please be a heart attack…" Larxene chanted, and then changed her mind. "No, don't let it be a heart attack. I want to kill him myself."

Jiraiya opened his eyes. The morning sun glinted in his eyes, blinding him momentarily.

"Yes!"

"So, uh… Where's the hot chick?"

"Uhm… That was me."

"WHAT!?"

"It's a Justu of my own creation, the Sexy Justu."

"My boy… That's GENIUS! Can you do it again?"

"… Maybe. Unless you don't train me. Remember? I have a big fight coming in a month? Come on! I need some hard hitting techniques!"

"Oh… Yeah… All right. I'm going to teach you the Summoning Justu. Now, it works like this: You sign a contract with a certain group of animals. In this case, the animals are toads. Now, once you sign this contract, you are able to call the animal you've signed a contract with forth. However…"

"However?"

"The summons do have their own free will. If they don't want to fight, they don't want to fight, so it may be an issue, especially with the stronger toads…" Jiraiya shuddered.

"Well, okay! So… Where's this contract?"

"Just wait…" Jiraiya said, forming the seals. He bit his thumb and slammed his hand to the ground. _"Kuchiyose no Justu! (Summoning Justu)"_ At once, a large cloud of smoke appeared, and Jiraiya stood atop a large red toad twice as tall as Naruto.

"What is it, Jiraiya?" The toad asked.

"This, Gama, is to be the newest addition to the contract." Jiraiya pointed at Naruto, who grinned. The toad would have raised an eyebrow, except that he didn't have one.

"That's me, Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto said, remembering his manners and bowing lightly. "It's good to meet you, dattebayo!"

"… Good to meet you as well." The toad grumbled, and opened its mouth, extending its tongue slowly, revealing a scroll.

"… This is… a summoning scroll…" Naruto said, amazed as he opened it.

"Now, Naruto, you must sign this scroll in your own blood, then put the fingerprints of the hand you used to sign the scroll below the signature, again in your own blood. Got that? Just… don't make all your fingers bleed or anything. Believe it or not, that's a mistake a lot of people make…"

"Got it," Naruto said, already signing his name down. "U… zu… Ma… ki… Na… ru… to…"

"Uzumaki?" Gama asked Jiraiya in a voice so quiet that only they could hear. "You don't mean this is…"

Jiraiya nodded ever so slightly.

"… I see…" The toad muttered.

"There! All finished! So, now what?" Naruto asked. The toad took back the scroll.

"Now you make the following seals: Boar, Dog, Monkey, Bird, Sheep. When you've done that, simply make your thumb on the hand you used to sign the contract with bleed, and then slam it onto the ground or, failing that, towards the ground. Let's start with a low-rank summon. You know, one you don't need to use the Kyuubi's Chakra for… I'd say about the amount for a single Shadow Clone."

"Got it!" Naruto said, forming the seals and slamming his palm down. _"Kuchiyose no Justu!" _As the resulting smoke cleared, Naruto stared at the small frog about the size of his hand.

"Hey, Jiraiya… Huh? Who's this kid?" The frog asked upon looking at Naruto.

"That's Naruto, the newest name added to the contract."

"Ahhh…" He said. "I'm Gamakichi. Put it there, kid." He outstretched his hand, and Naruto shook it, uncertain.

"So... I know I can do this Justu… What now?"

"Well, kid, I can tell you've got some talent. I mean, usually a Summoner only summons tadpoles for a while…

"Well, I have been working pretty hard on Chakra control…" Naruto said, putting his hands behind his head with a blush.

"Really? Then you should have no trouble summoning my Pop. Let me tell you, he is bored with a capital B…" Gamakichi said.

"Really… I wonder… Just how much chakra would I need for that?" Naruto asked.

'Oh, boy… If he summons Gamabunta… Ah well, nothing I can do to stop him now…' "Well, I'd say that summoning him takes a great amount of Chakra, more than you'd normally have…"

"Really? Well, this should be a good test of just how much good my training's been…" At once, Naruto started to transform, his power growing to near-inhuman limits. His claws quickly formed the seals and reopened the cut on his thumb by cutting it with the claw on his other hand delicately. He then pounded his hand into the ground. At once the smoke was enough to cover that small part of the forest. As the smoke cleared, the group was standing on the back of Gamabunta, king of toads.

"What? What is this? Where am I?" The toad asked in his booming voice. "Jiraiya… Where are you? Why did you summon me here?"

"That wasn't me," Jiraiya said, prompting the toad to look up. "That was my student, Uzumaki Naruto," He said, pointing to the now-normal Naruto. 'Heh… That's amazing… He can transform at such speeds… Almost instantly…'

"What? A whelp like that, summon me?" Gamabunta scoffed. "No way!"

"What was that?" Axel roared. "Naruto can easily summon a tub of lard like you!" However, Naruto stayed silent, knowing that insulting something this big could be a big issue…

"It's true, Pops! Naruto here summoned you on his second try, with me and Gama here to witness it!" Gamakichi said.

"And I take you summoned Gama, Jiraiya?"

"Yeah."

"… Hmph. Well… You and I are going to have a little talk, Jiraiya... But not now. You seem alright, kid, so I warn you: Until you're old enough for us to share a drink, there's no way I'm ever going to work with you."

"Oh, come on, Pops!" Gamakichi asked. "Can't you overlook that rule just once?"

"Eh, it's alright. If that's a rule, that's a rule…" Naruto said. "But I can summon the other toads, right?"

"Of course. If they're willing to work with you, then I won't stop them."

"… Thank you, er…"

"Gamabunta, kid." He replied. 'Heh, this kid seems polite… Maybe he's just scared of me, though…'

"Naruto, I'd say you're pretty tired from summoning my old friend here, so you should just rest here. Me and Bunta are going to have our little chat…" The two other frogs disappeared, and the King and Sage jumped away, leaving Naruto to sleep…

* * *

"So, that was Minato's kid?" 

"Yeah." Jiraiya replied, the sun setting.

"Does he know?"

"… No. Not yet…"

"… I see… I think it may be wise to inform him…"

"Sooner or later… but not now. He has enough on his plate without finding out that his own father is the one who's put him through the hellhole that's been his life…"

"Hmph. He seemed like such a happy kid. Surely they're following the Fourth's wishes?"

"… No. In fact, quite the opposite. Many of them downright loathe him. From what I've heard from his Jounin Sensei, Riku, that kid's been living a pretty bad life. Up till his Graduation Exams, he was hated by nearly every villager, and no one gave him a reason. And when he did learn about Kyuubi… Well, the guy who told him wasn't the type of guy I'd have chosen for the job. Up till recently, he's been scared out of his mind to use the seal the way it was intended…"

"And he isn't anymore?"

"Not as much… He's realized that he controls that power, not the other way around. Before that, whenever he used the Kyuubi's Chakra, the rage he held at the time consumed him, and he acted almost solely on that… But now he's figured out another way…"

"Sounds like you've grown attached to him, much like you did his father."

"He's a good kid… But the village doesn't seem to think so. Except for two clans, Sarutobi-sensei, a single Academy Instructor, a few of his peers, and a single restaurant, everyone despises him, or just doesn't care about him. Far from what Namikaze Minato imagined, huh?"

"Indeed… But now he has a new group of allies. The toads now stand with him."

"Yes." Jiraiya said. "Still, one can't help but wonder just fate has in store for him…"

* * *

"So, have you made your choice, Naruto?" The robed woman asked. Naruto stood once more upon the glass pedestal. 

"… What is this place?"

"The Station."

"The Station?" Naruto repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. It is only here that one's power can awaken. There are many Stations, as many as there are people in the Worlds… Most have no name, and many people never see them. Most who do don't remember what it was they did or said in them when they make their final departure. It is only for the ones who truly remember that a Station is named."

"… What is so important about this choice I'm making?"

"Your choice, or rather, your choices, that you make here will change how you grow in life, and why it is that you grow. You made a choice recently, did you not?"

"Huh?"

"You chose… to not let the fear of using the power in your heart stop you from doing what must be done."

"You mean… The Kyuubi's power…"

"Indeed. That was a good choice, Naruto." The woman laughed. "And a while back, you made another choice, one that guides you onwards. One that you live by. A great oath."

"… To never give up and to never go back on my word."

"Yes. That, too, was a good choice. Naruto… I will not lie. Your destiny will lead you on to many hardships wherever it takes you, no matter what is said or done here. Once you make your departure from this place… You may never go back to what you were before." The woman bowed her head.

"… Yeah, but that's a given. Sometimes, I wonder what it could have been like, had I made a different choice. I occasionally wish that I could change everything, and be the way I was then. No Kyuubi, no hate from the villagers, a mother and father…"

* * *

"But one thing is sure, Bunta…"

* * *

"But then I realize: if I did that, then maybe I'd never have made the friends I have now. Maybe the good things I do have a little of and appreciate would have to be given up in place of things I have a lot of and don't appreciate… Maybe someone else would have to live like this in my place… And I decide, 'I can't let that happen.' I've gone this far, and I don't want to go back…"

* * *

"That kid will change this world, someday."

* * *

"I've made my choice." 

Naruto woke up the next day, yawning as he put on his jacket.

"So, kid, sleep well?"

"Yeah! But I had the craziest dream…"

"Really, what was it about?"

"…Huh. That's odd… I know it was strange, but… I can't remember exactly what happened." Naruto scratched his head. "But… something about it was good…"

"Well, let's not dawdle here, Naruto!"

"Huh?"

"You've done a heck of a job this past week and a half, so we're going to have a day on the town!"

"HUH!?"

"You heard me!"

"Pervy Sage…" Naruto whined.

"What?"

"I don't have time for that… I need to get stronger. I need to be able to pass the Chunin Exam..."

"Well, if you train too much, you'll wear yourself out…"

"Aghh…" Naruto sighed as he followed. Sure, he was facing Sakura. Unless he was overconfident, there was no way he could lose. However, after her there were other ninja, like Hinata… And that one… Astaroth.

"So, kid… I hear you like Ramen?"

"DO I?" Naruto exclaimed, instantly awake and ready to eat.

* * *

Slightly bloodshot eyes looked about, disheveled hair above and little bags underneath. The entire training field was empty. "… He tells me to arrive here before 4:00 in the _morning_, and then doesn't show up him- eh?" She noted a small scroll a fair distance away. She walked up to it and looked at the seal: 

For Hinata

From Riku

She opened it.

Hinata,

Gone out on some business. Continue training as we discussed. Unless delayed, I intend to be back by 10. See ya then!

Riku

Hinata's eye would have twitched out of anger, but that was improper for the clan... Ah, screw etiquette. She was already a mess, anyway. "Out on business… Maybe I should have slept in…" She grumbled.

"You look like you've just had a big fight…" Hinata turned to face Llednar, who, somehow, even WITH the same hours as her, looked exactly the same as he always did. Hinata grumbled incoherently, obviously annoyed.

"…could have let me sleep for once… Llednar, how do you do it?"

"Do what?"

Inside her, a little voice shouted, _**"I'm not in the mood for this!"**_ However, she sighed and continued.

"I… I mean, no matter how long you're up, no matter where you sleep, no matter what, you always look nearly the same as you always do."

"… I have new clothes prepared every night, I take a shower and brush my teeth at the same time, and I take my vitamins."

Now Hinata was developing a bigger twitch in her neck in addition to her eye.

"… You know what, nevermind. Just, help me with my training."

"Certainly."

She then started practicing her newest Justu, pretending that she was using it on her teacher instead of her unwitting teammate.

* * *

"Man, Pervy Sage, you're not so bad after all, datteba-yo?" He stared at the seat where Jiraiya had been sitting, and which was now occupied by a large stuffed frog, winking almost tauntingly at the blond. "WHAT?" 

"Hehehheheh…" The dual laughter coming from his right only served to bring chills down his spine.

* * *

"So, how's Naruto?" Riku asked from a treetop just outside the village. 

"I had him take a break. When I left him, he was enjoying some ramen."

"Ah… That's Naruto all right…"

"His progress has been astounding. I've never known someone who could learn and master the Summoning Justu in less than a few hours…"

"Well, you've also never known a guy who could learn a technique from the Scroll of Sealing in a few hours… Nor a human who could learn how to almost perfectly control the Kyuubi's Chakra."

"Good point… What about your other students?"

"Hinata's gotten along just great, though I'm actually kinda surprised that she's still at it… Especially with the hours and intensity of the training I'm giving her… I was actually hoping she'd tell me when she couldn't take any more, but..."

"I don't like the sound of that. Maybe a little rest is in order?"

Riku laughed. "Yeah. At this point, I'd not be surprised to come back to a training area filled with explosive tags just for me." He shuddered. "Or possibly Hinata waiting in the shadows for the perfect chance to test her new Justus…" He shuddered harder. "Oh yeah, when I get back, I'm giving her a nice long rest."

"Because we know all too well the horrors of a woman's scorn, eh, Jiraiya, Riku?" The two of them froze, eyes widening in pure horror as they turned to face Anko, who was currently sitting on a nearby branch, a malicious smile on her face. "Hello, boys. I've been getting some complaints about a Peeping Tom. Want to explain, Jiraiya? And stop right there, Riku." Riku stopped from trying to sneak away. "What happened to our date last night? You promised you'd be there..."

"Uh, uh…" Riku and Jiraiya stuttered in stereo. Anko smile grew even scarier.

'Oh, this is just too easy…' She pulled out a kunai and licked it to increase the freak-out factor. As expected, the two of them made a break for it via one of Riku's portals. 'Yep, too easy.' She began her hunt…

* * *

"We made it…" 

"Do you think she'll find us?"

"I don't know, how about I ask. Hey, do I think I'll find you? Oh, yeah, of course I will… mwahahahaha…"

"GAHHHHHHH!!!"

* * *

Naruto's ears perked. "Hey, that sounded like the Pervy Sage and Riku! I'll make that old coot pay for what he's done!" He looked at his now-flat Moogle-shaped wallet. "Ain't that right, Kupo-kun?" He squeezed the pompom of the wallet, which made a 'kupo' sound.

* * *

"Eh?" Hinata stopped her training. "Was that… Riku-sensei?" 

"Sounds like he's in trouble," commented Llednar. The two of them looked at each other.

"… Eh, he said for me to keep training as is…" She went back to her training…

* * *

"Did you hear something?" Sasuke inquired, glancing at Kakashi, who tilted his head and shrugged. "Sounded like a girly shriek…" 

"…"

"… Yeah, you're right. Let them sort their own messes out…"

* * *

"… What was that? It sounded… like a mouse… What do you think, Ollette?" 

"Not sure, Hayner…"

* * *

Naruto stared at the mess before him. Jiraiya and Riku both looked like they had been hit by something the size of a house… Repeatedly. He forgot about petty revenge and went to help his teachers. After sending Naruto to another world to buy two Hi-Potions, (Organization XIII's memories guiding him) Riku and Jiraiya were much better. All agreed: "We'll never talk about this again." 

After all, with the Finals coming up, no one had the time to be goofing around…

* * *

On their way back to the river they had using for training, Naruto decided to visit the Academy to check the roster. He stared long and hard at the matchups. If he won… He'd be up against Astaroth… 

"What's up, kid?" Jiraiya asked when he noticed how pale Naruto had become.

"That guy…" Naruto pointed to Astaroth's name. "If he wins, and I win, we'll be facing each other…"

"Yeah, so?"

"… Riku warned me… He warned me that no matter what, I mustn't get into a confrontation with him. Otherwise… that guy would kill me…" Jiraiya looked at the board.

"… I see… Well, don't worry about it."

"Eh?"

"You're training with…" He got into a distinctive pose and threw his hair about dramatically. "Jiraiya, The Toad Sage… One of the Sannin, the greatest around!"

"Then how'd you get beat up?"

"I could have fought back, if I had wanted…"

"Yeah…"

"Listen, Naruto. I was able to keep up with you when you were calling the Kyuubi's chakra… I could certainly hold my own against this guy… And I'm certain you could too. All you need is the right moves… I wasn't planning on doing this so soon… but… I'm going to teach you…"

"You're going to teach me…" Naruto echoed.

"One of the greatest Justu there are. One that was invented by none other than the Fourth Hokage himself!"

"W-What!?" Naruto stared. "A Justu from the Fourth Hokage?"

"That's right… Now, this technique requires an astounding amount of Chakra control…" Jiraiya raised his hand slightly, and started gathering chakra into it. Quickly, it started to form into a quickly spinning ball. "Do you see this?"

'The chakra… It spirals around and around, without leaving the ball shape… I've… I've never seen anything like this…' His eyes widened in awe of the spiraling ball of chakra. 'It's like the Hyuuga's spirally defense thing, but far more compact… And he keeps it going…'

"I will warn you, though… This isn't something you want to use on anyone you don't want extremely hurt... Because…" He walked out of the academy, Naruto trailing behind. He walked up to a large metal dumpster. With a flowing movement, he smashed the sphere into the dumpster, leaving a large crater. "It can cause a lot of destruction."

Naruto gulped.

"What, Naruto? You scared?"

"… No," He said, his mouth curling into a smile. "This technique… I'm going to learn it, then see just how much Purple Boy likes it, dattebayo!" He punched his fist into his palm, grinning. "Just teach me how!"

"…All right. But first, we'll need to go shopping…"

"Eh?"

"But not now." He pointed at the sun, which was setting. "For now, we still need to party the night away!"

"Wha?" Naruto stepped back 'Hasn't this guy had enough "partying" for one day?' "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope, my little friend. We're going to a little club!" He laughed.

"Club? Okay, I'm in!" Axel jumped in the air. Xemnas smacked his forehead.

"One thousand," Roxas sighed, counting how many times Xemnas had smacked his head in the month between the Prelims and the Finals.

"We're going to dance and sing, and meet pretty girls!" Jiraiya said, wiggling his fingers in anticipation.

"Ah… That's the deal, you little pervert…" Naruto shook his head.

"Hey! I'm a lot a things, but one thing I'm not is a little pervert!"

"Oh, _really_? Then what are you?"

"I'm a _big_ pervert." Jiraiya said, grinning madly. Xemnas smacked his forehead again.

"Thousand and one."

"Roxas…" Xemnas warned, a ball of light forming in his palm.

"What, Naruto? Don't you want to find some hot chicks?" Jiraiya asked.

"Uh, no…" Naruto grumbled.

"… Ah… I see now… You're already taken, aren't you?"

"What? U-uh… uh… no! I mean… she's not technically my girlfriend… Um…"

"But you've got an eye on her, huh? Come on, you can tell old Jiraiya, master of love!"

"Uh… well… kinda... You see…" Naruto was stammering now.

"Ah ha! I think I know who!" Jiraiya started closing in.

"No you don't!" Naruto jumped back, his face reddening.

"Let me guess… She's about your age… unique eyes… cute… and the heir of a certain clan? Hm? Hmmmmmm?" He was right up to Naruto's face. Naruto fell on his behind, sweating.

"Um… Er… Ah…"

"You can't hide the truth from me!" Jiraiya laughed maniacally.

"Oh, shut up! Some people are trying to get some sleep!" A shoe hit Jiraiya in the back of the head, knocking him out. Naruto sighed in relief.

"Man…"

"You know he's right, Naruto…" Marluxia grinned. "And I, at least, will not rest until- ow!" Roxas smirked as the flower-user fell to the ground, KOed by a Keyblade.

"Well, that solves one of our problems…"

* * *

"Well, you're dismissed," Riku said, and Hinata and Llednar started to head back. "Oh, by the way… Tomorrow, don't bother showing up. I want you- the both of you- to get a nice, long rest." Hinata sighed in relief, though a small part of her wanted to keep training. "Then, the next day, we'll pick up from here. Get it?" 

"Got it."

"Good." Riku smirked as he warped away. This gave him just enough time to get to Anko. He did NOT want to tick her off again…

* * *

The rest of the month went by relatively quickly for Jiraiya and Naruto. Of course, this was partially due to the fact that Naruto kept exhausting all his chakra in training to learn the spiraling Jutsu. Quickly enough, though, Naruto realized that using two hands was easier, and proceeded to pop the water balloon. However… When given the second step, Naruto found things much harder. The rubber ball Jiraiya gave him was far harder to bust, due to the lack of water inside to spin with his technique and the density of the ball's skin. 

Then, three days before the Finals, Naruto figured out that by focusing the chakra rotation on one point, he was able to apply a great deal of effort into the spin, finally popping the ball.

"Finally… So… What's next, Pervy Sage?"

"Now, Naruto… the final step. As it is now, this Justu can still do a bit of damage, but not as much as the real thing. The first step taught you to rotate the chakra, and then you learned to apply force to it. Now, you must do both, and maintain it in a perfect pint-sized ball." He threw Naruto an empty balloon. "Fill that up with air, and then do as you did before. However… This time, your goal is not to pop it, but to keep both the rotation and the power going without disturbing the balloon. Once you can do that, you'll have mastered the ultimate technique of the Fourth, Rasengan! Do you think you can pull that?"

"Well, of course!" Naruto grinned as he finished filling the balloon and began to spin the chakra.

Five seconds later, it popped.

"What was that?" Jiraiya grinned, watching an infuriated Naruto. "Here, try again." He threw another balloon. Naruto caught it, and began again. This time, it lasted seven seconds.

"Well, that's better…"

"Try and keep it going for as long as you can. If you can keep a perfect sphere for thirty seconds, then that would be good enough to take down most foes… However, I want you to keep it going for as long as you can." He said, throwing another balloon. His eyes suddenly narrowed for a split second, then returned to normal. Naruto, being obsessed with the balloon, and Organization XIII, obsessed with what they were doing, didn't notice this. "… Naruto, I'll be right back."

"Mm-hmm," Naruto mumbled, starting the spin again. Jiraiya shook his head and left into the forest. A few minutes later, he stopped.

"What is it, Riku? Shouldn't you be training Hinata?"

"She's done. I've taught her everything I was planning on for this month. I've no doubt she'll win her matches easily, so I'm letting her take the last three days off." Riku jumped down from the trees. "Jiraiya, isn't the Rasengan a little… much… for the Chunin Exams?" Riku asked. "I mean, it's a great way to learn Chakra control, but for most foes Genin to Chunin level, it's a little much…"

"Yeah, but from what I've heard, Astaroth, the Banjin no Satetsu, isn't an ordinary Genin to Chunin-level foe."

"You can't seriously be considering having Naruto-"

"Listen, Riku. I know what Astaroth is capable of, and what he's done to you… but trust me. Naruto can hold his own against him. There's no doubt in my mind that he can win if he tries, especially if he knows the Rasengan…"

"…"

"I know it's hard, letting one of your students face something like this. It's the same way I felt when I heard about Minato, the Fourth Hokage, facing the Kyuubi itself. I thought that he had no hope of stopping it, and had I been there… I'd have tried to stop him, just as you want to do for Naruto now. However, we both know that there are stronger foes than Astaroth that are after him, and that no matter how hard we try, we can't stop them all from getting to Naruto. He has to be ready to fight for his life and the lives of others who are dear to him."

"…" Riku turned away, unable to counter those words. 'He's right… I can try, but I can't stop the Akatsuki from getting past me and trying to get Naruto… But… I can't just sit here…' "Where is their base of operations?" Riku asked.

"They have many of them scattered throughout our world, Riku. I don't think you'd be able to get at them all, especially since even I don't know where they all are…"

"… I can try."

"And leave your students wide open?"

"…"

"You'll have your chance, Riku, but for now, just wait." Jiraiya turned around and went back the way he came. Riku sighed.

"Damnit…"

* * *

"WOO WHOO!" Naruto was jumping up in the air alongside a clone. "Three minutes, 29 seconds! Can you believe it, dattebayo?" 

"Yeah, I can. However, remember that the Kyuubi's chakra is stronger that average chakra." He threw another balloon. "This time, let's see how long that lasts while you're- hubba hubba…" Jiraiya's train of thought was interrupted by another group of bikini-clad girls. Both Narutos sighed.

"Here we go again… _Oiroke no Justu! (Sexy Justu)_"

SMACK!

"Fifteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty Nine."

"Shut up, Roxas!"

"Ow! Hey, that- ow! Ak! Stop that! Hey, hey! Enough, Xemnas, I get it already! No more! No more! Uncle, UNCLE!"

* * *

"Tomorrow… it begins." Hinata breathed, excited. She had been training for this day, and not even Neji could stop her newest technique, the new ace in her arsenal…

* * *

"_Oh, man, I'm stoked for this tournament! It's all me and Hinata, all the way! Oh yeah, we're going straight to the top!"_

"_Yeah, but which of you is better? Think carefully before you answer… Because I'll tell Hinata what you think."_

"_Er…"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Finals Time! The Light of a Failure Burns bright! The Fifth Grand Strike is born! Also, the Guy with Cloud Envy and the Bloodthirsty Maniac show up!**_

"_Um, I'll get back to you on that, Llednar…"_

* * *

"... Stupid Shadow and Link. I don't need them... Hey, dude! Another one!" 

Voldemort: "What? But that's... That's seventy Rockstars so far!"

"Yeah, so? I want another!"

Orochimaru: "But... You should be dead with a Rockstar-Overdose-Induced heart attack by now!"

"Shut up! I need to party like a Rockstar!" (burps)

Shadow: (walking in.) "Okay... this is odd."

Link: (with Shadow) "How long has he been here?"

Gannondorf (playing a piano on a stage): "Ever since the chapter started. He's been drinking a load of Rockstars one after another and pretending they're alcohol since he doesn't drink the real stuff..."

"Oh, what do you care? I'm the one paying you for these! Now get me another!" (hiccups) "And you! What the hell are you two doing in my kitchen?"

Eggman: "Uh, this isn't your kitchen. This is the Villain's Bar. You know, the little extension to your room that you paid us Villains to work at?"

Sephiroth: (wearing an apron) "I feel... Humiliated."

Bowser: "Well, we do need something to do in the off-season..."

Shadow: "... Okay, you need to rest, James. I'm sure Manaphy's worried sick about you..."

Meanwhile: (Manaphy is playing Soul Calibur 3, not caring in the slightest)

Link: "Yeah... Now, come on... Sorry, folks, James isn't suitable for post-chapter dialouge right now, so I guess there isn't going to be any... See you all later..."


	22. Finals Time

XIII Ninja 

By James the Fox

(Back from Rockstar-incident) "Well, that was fun. Maybe I should do it again…"

Itachi: "Do it again, and I WILL use Tsukuyomi. The dress you had me wearing at that bar… never again."

"…Okay. Well, folks, I think you've noticed that I've skipped my usual update of another story." (Looks at Naminé) "In this case… wasn't it Lightning Summoner?"

Naminé: (Wearing Secretary-style Glasses and uniform. Looks at schedule.) "Yes."

"…Hm. I'll back to that one later. First, some serious kudos go straight to The 17th Immortal for this chapter. My newest cohort/Beta/ghostwriter/whatever title fits has been advising me on the Chuunin Exam and the Destruction of Konoha Arc, and many of the scenes here are inspired from our ramblings by Private Message. I don't see any actual fanfiction on 17th Immortal's profile, but if some shows up, I'll likely be one of the first to check it out."

Itachi: (Nursing a leg) "Stupid rabid fans…"

"Yeah, who knew that people would go this far for one of my Fanfictions? Man, when I was just starting out, I thought it was cool to get a few good reviews…" (Goes off, rambling about the beginning)

Naminé: (Adjusts glasses.) "We now return you to your regularly scheduled Fan Fiction."

* * *

Quote: _"So shut up about 'destiny' and 'inescapable fate.' You shouldn't be whine about such trivial stuff! Cause… unlike me… you're not a failure." —Uzumaki Naruto_

* * *

"Naruto…" 

"…"

"Naruto…"

"…Eh?"

"Do not forget… the choices you have made…"

"Ughn…"

"NARUTO!"

Naruto woke up with a start, glaring at Jiraiya tiredly. "What was that for?"

"Hey, I was doing you a favor. Naruto… It's time."

"Huh?" he asked lazily.

"You know, the Finals? They're in just about an hour. You'll miss the beginning if you don't get dressed and moving!"

"…Meh…" Naruto yawned, walking into the river to clean up.

"Naruto… You do realize you're on a tight schedule?"

"Huuuhh… Stupid Pervy Sage…" Naruto sighed airily as he put his clothes on.

"It takes 30 minutes to get from here to the Stadium, if you're fast…"

"Uuuuurrrruuuuuuhhh…" Naruto yawned, wiping the gunk from his eyes. He then grabbed some cup ramen from a knapsack. He formed a few hand seals. "_Katon… Gokakyu no Jutsu… (Fire Style… Grand Fireball Jutsu…)_" Naruto started a fire sleepily, boiling the ramen. He then ate it lazily.

"Naruto… You have to hurry! I let you sleep in late enough as is and—"

Naruto then disappeared in a Portal of Darkness.

"You'll… get… disqualified?" Jiraiya stared at the spot Naruto had been standing at a moment earlier. "…"

He would remain staring at that spot for another ten minutes.

_

* * *

_

_Finals Time! The Light of a Failure Burns bright! The Fifth Grand Strike is born! Also, the Guy with Cloud Envy and the Bloodthirsty Maniac show up!_

* * *

"Why are we headed this way? Ichiraku Ramen is that way…" a young girl asked. 

"Because Naruto and the others are this way, at the stadium. I mean, it's the Chuunin Exam Finals. Of course they'd be there," her older brother replied.

"Yes, haven't you been paying attention?" a third voice chimed in. The owner of this voice, a tallish boy with long blond hair tied back into a ponytail and green eyes, stared at Emerald.

"And _why_ do you think you're going there?" a new voice asked.

"To cheer on Naruto and Hinata!"

"To cheer on SasuNaru."

"…Do you even _watch_ the anime?"

"No."

"Dilettante," the third voice muttered disgustedly under his breath.

James sighed at his sister, then addressed the voice behind them, "Why do you— oh, sho—"

"_Sennen Goroshi!_"

"—OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTT!"

"_Sennen Goroshi!_"

"PEEEEEERRRRRRRRRVEEEEEERRRRRRRTTTTT!"

"Nice hang time," the remaining boy remarked, peering after the rapidly disappearing figures.

"_Sennen—_"

"Uh, thanks, but I was just leaving," the third voice stammered, disappearing in a flash of darkness.

"…I missed."

"I didn't know you knew that technique, Llednar."

"As Biskmatar, heir to my clan, I take it upon myself to learn many different and exotic Jutsu."

"And you being bored while Hinata trained with Riku had nothing to do with it?"

"…Maybe."

"Right…"

"Well, we had best not keep Riku, Hinata, and Lady Remedi waiting."

"Yes, we should go, Anko."

* * *

"…" Hinata looked straight ahead. 

"You think you're ready, Hinata?"

"…"

"Any strategies?"

"…One. I've looked at everything my brother can do, everything he's capable of, and thrown away every plan except one."

"One? What is it?"

"I can't say. After all, it's never a good idea to tell someone your strategy if someone else might be listening…"

"…Good girl."

"…"

"Do you think it will work?"

"It can. I know it can."

"But will it?"

Hinata stopped, looking at Riku. "That's the big question."

* * *

Sasuke smirked, looking at his hand. "This power… Now… Nothing can stop me."

* * *

"Mid, what are you doing?" Kiba asked. 

"Just a few last minute adjustments… I want to see what my device can do at full power…"

* * *

"Hey, Talim… They got any steamed buns around here?" 

"Y-Yun-Seong? What… what are you doing here? I t-thought…" The girl gasped in pain. The wounds Hinata had caused had kept her bedridden for the entire month.

"It's alright. I'm not going. If I do… it'll just be a waste. After all, I'm supposed to fight Astaroth. I think I'd rather be here."

"…Yun-Seong…"

* * *

"That coward's not coming, eh?" Astaroth grumbled as he sat cross-legged in the center of the arena. "Fine… I'll just kill him later…" 

A few feet away from him, Neji stood, facing the entryway Hinata would use. "Hinata…" He clenched his fists.

Suddenly, a portal of darkness opened up, and Naruto stepped out. Almost instantly, his keen, darkness-enhanced senses caught a few muttered comments:

"Him? He got this far?"

"I can't believe that a demon like him would be allowed to participate…"

"Imagine, if _he_ became a Chuunin…"

Naruto closed his ears, ignoring what he had heard. He was going to prove them wrong… All of them… Sooner or later… He looked at Astaroth. "No way I'm going to lose… Not even to him…"

* * *

Sakura sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. The dress her family had gotten her for making it this far was a far cry from her old one. Color-wise, it was now blue, though the patterns remained the same. It was still sleeveless as well, but the two strips of cloth that made the 'skirt' part of the dress reached farther down her legs (the back moreso than the front). In addition, she also wore a studded leather belt and backless, fingerless gloves. Over this ensemble, she had put on a cloak that covered her figure. She looked herself in the mirror, eyes narrowed. 

"I hope this is enough…"

* * *

Hinata stepped into the arena, looking about to see who else had arrived. As expected, Neji was there, observing her carefully. Naruto was there as well, though it took her a bit to recognize him without his usual jumpsuit, and as soon as he noticed her, he waved at her. 

"HEY!!!! OVER HERE, DATTEBAYO!"

She looked about, finding that she was the last to show up, except for Sasuke.

* * *

"Hello, Lord Hiashi, Lady Hanabi." The aforementioned Hyuuga Head and second-in-line turned in his seat to face Riku. "I take it this last month has gone well for you?" 

"…I'm worried," Hiashi admitted.

"Eh?"

"Neji… He has become more… tense. I fear he may try to take Hinata's life during their fight."

"…I see." Riku sat next to Hanabi. "There is no doubt in my mind that Hinata will win. Neji… Whatever kind of prodigy he may be, the kind Hinata is will always prove better."

"The prodigy… Hinata is?" Hanabi asked.

"…You see… For all her uselessness in the Gentle Fist, she has a power that makes up for all of that… And that power… is something very few will ever get the chance to truly master. Also, she has a plan, though it probably counts on one thing."

"Hm?"

"She's probably betting on the notion that Neji hasn't been learning Jutsu from anyone other than himself."

"Ah," the little girl smirked. "Betting on Neji's arrogance. Good bet."

"Hm. And that is why Hinata WILL win." 'I know it… Though… if she loses… I fear what will happen… I wish Llednar hadn't been so rough on Neji…'

_"…What a waste of time. You're not worth my effort… Hardly worth me fighting at 66 Percent. I wanted a challenge… When I become a Chuunin, I want it to be after I faced the kind of foe that was able to challenge my power, and still won. This whelp isn't that kind of foe. I quit."_

'Neji was likely enraged at that… If he gets the chance… Hinata will be killed…' His eyes narrowed. 'No. That WON'T happen… If it comes to that… I'll let Naruto have his way with him while I hold the bastard down.' He looked at the arena, watching the proctor begin to announce the next match.

* * *

Meanwhile, Remedi looked at Llednar. "That girl… isn't she your teammate? That Hinata girl?" 

"Indeed."

"…I see… She seems strong… she might be a good choice for you."

"Maybe… But that is out of my hands. She is already spoken for."

"Hm?"

"My other teammate, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Ah… I see… Quite amazing. A team of three great ninja… Whatever happened to balancing the teams at graduation?"

"Technically, Naruto failed his Exam, yet he still graduated. He and Hinata both work well together, with each other and with me."

"An amazing thing, for the two of them to be together. I'd daresay it's like the fairytale of Aladdin."

"Naruto and Hinata are more similar than you would first believe." 'They keep growing… On and on… towards the limits of power…' "I would not be surprised one day to be surpassed by them both, especially with their ambitions…"

"And you're not annoyed at that?"

"I have all I need as I am. Until the day comes that they pass me, I will nurse, protect, and nurture their strength, like eggs waiting to be hatched. Then I will be happy to simply stand back and watch the birds that fly forth. That is my only dream left, the only one that has yet to have been completed by my hand."

"Aside from protecting the clan?"

"That is something I know I have put myself in the perfect position to accomplish. It might as well be done already. It is my purpose, but watching my friends pass me by is my dream. After all… It will mean I will actually have a grand challenge in sparing matches." He allowed a small chuckle.

"You will guide these ninja to the greatest heights of power. Of that I have no doubt."

"Yes. But for now, I have no choice but to stand back and see Hinata and Naruto spread their wings and try to go beyond the nest."

* * *

Hinata stared down her opponent, knowing that he was doing the same. As soon as the Proctor signaled the beginning of the match, waves of killer intent washed over her, making her flinch. However, she remembered her plan, and stood her ground like a good ninja. Meanwhile, Neji was talking. 

"Hinata… Forfeit now. I won't look down on it, and I don't want to hurt you, my heiress."

'LIKE HELL HE DOESN'T!' an angry voice inside her screeched. However, she made no reply.

"Hinata, admit it. You only entered this competition because your team pressured you into it."

"Neji, I came here on my own. I won't back down. This is futile."

"Foolish Hinata… going against your fate. Pitiful."

'And what about you?' the voice asked sarcastically, though Hinata kept her mouth under HER control. "Neji, I'm sorry about what happened."

"What…?"

"Back when we were children. I'm sorry about your father. About Uncle. If I had been stronger… But that is in the past. I stand here now, and I am no longer the weak person I was then. I won't turn back to that, because that is my ninja way." Hinata said, getting into a fighting stance. "To grow strong and protect my friends and family so that something like that never happens again."

"Hmph. Still tied up about that?" Neji smirked, getting into his own fighting stance.

"Not anymore. However, as part of my ninja way… I must make you the same offer you've just made to me. Surrender, before I am forced to hurt you."

"Hmph."

"Uh, are either of you going to start the actual fighting?" the proctor asked.

"I was just about to, but you just ruined the moment," Hinata smirked at Neji's words. Under that exterior, Neji was still the kid she had seen that very first time, before all that mess. However, she took her chance, jumping back and hiding in the trees.

"…A game of hide and seek, against me?" Neji asked. "Fine then… _Byakugan!_"

Nothing. She was nowhere to be found. He scanned the tree, hoping for a clue. Suddenly, he felt pain across his back. "What? No… She couldn't be…" His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in anger. 'Damn her! She's attacking from my blind spot!' he growled as he pulled out the small needle Hinata had thrown at him. Luckily, it hadn't hit any vital points. 'Damn her to hell…' He spun about, never keeping his blind spot in one area for more than a second. "Hinata! This is pathetic. It only delays the inevitable. Face me! If you're stronger than you were before, then prove it! Prove that you're not as worthless as our clan has seen!"

This time, he was able to see a kunai coming from the trees He blocked it, and it fell to the ground. He then jumped back to avoid the explosion of the tag attached to the kunai. However, he failed to see that the tag was a different kind than usual. Instead of the usual seals of explosions, there was an odd seal that looked to have the kanji for 'light' on it. Instead of exploding, the kunai released a large flash of light, blinding Neji momentarily. 'What?' He stumbled about, unable to see. Suddenly, Hinata came out from the trees, rushing forward while Neji stumbled blindly, rubbing his eyes.

'I knew that would work,' she thought to herself. 'After all, even if he hid his eyes behind his hands, they would just see through them and still be hit with the light.' She pounded at her opponent with her Gentle Fist, while he clumsily dodged, as she reviewed her plan. 'I throw those from his blind spots, and he blocks and jumps back, expecting a normal explosion…He won't anymore, so I can't pull that normally again. Instead…' She noticed that he had regained his vision, and jumped back, carefully dodging his more precise strikes. She jumped back, retreating again to the trees, throwing a few senbon at Neji, who blocked them.

"Stop this foolishness, Hinata! You cannot overcome your fate!" A few kunai came again, and Neji blocked again, deactivating his eyes and closing them as he did so. "You really think that trick will work again? That was truly—"

One kunai exploded, blasting Neji to the ground. He got up, just in time for one of the other kunai to release another flash of light. He closed his eyes, avoiding being blinded. "Worthless," he muttered again, reactivating his Byakugan. 'Hm… I see, so she'll be throwing kunai that explode AND kunai that release light… I'll need to be careful…' He dodged a kunai that exploded, letting it fly to the other side of the battlefield, then blocked another that released light while deactivating Byakugan and subsequently closing his eyes.

Meanwhile, Naruto was rubbing his eyes, grumbling. "Darn it… Stupid Kunai… Can't see Hinata's fight…" He then molded sunglasses from the darkness and his headband, putting them over his eyes. "That's better. GO HINATA!"

Riku smirked. "Well played, Hinata… You're hiding your TRUE skill until later…"

"This isn't her true skill?" Hanabi marveled. 'My sister… just what kind of training did you do for the last month?'

"Hinata… keep going," Hiashi said, face neutral as he watched his daughter fight like a true ninja.

The battle continued like this, Neji blocking kunai or protecting himself depending on the tags attached to the back. However, just as he jumped back from another exploding kunai, he noticed something. Another tag was attached to the kunai he had just blocked, hidden behind the exploding tag. His eyes widened.

"Crap—!" A moment later, Neji was stumbling backwards from the light, rubbing his eyes. Not a moment later, the explosion occurred, the air displaced by the blast knocking him off his feet. He got up clumsily just as Hinata burst through the smoke, Byakugan blazing as she prepared to land a hard blow. Neji sneered.

"Got you." He moved fluidly from the clumsy posture he had been displaying straight into a Gentle Fist stance. His sneer grew. "You're within the field of my divination circle."

"!!!" Hiashi's eyes widened. However, almost as one, Riku, Llednar, and Hinata all smiled as Neji began his attack.

"_Ni Hirate…_"

"_Ninpou: Chakra Sekiryoku Shugo! (Ninja Art: Chakra Repulsion Safeguard)_" Hinata glowed and flickered for a mere moment, repelling Neji's attack and throwing him back several feet.

"What the…?"

"This is my answer to any ninjutsu you can use. If things look bad… This will dispel it and return the force used back to its master by creating a thin burst of chakra in the opposite direction. You won't win with just that." Hinata jumped back, smiling. "However… I think I'll end this. Time to show you just what a 'worthless failure' can do…"

Hinata trailed off, moving her right arm and swinging it like she was wielding a sword. As she did so, a thin stream of light flowed from her hand, forming into a rapier. The blade was simple, made of a pure white, crystal-like material. The guard was covered with white feathers. She swung it and moved into a distinctive stance, rapier pointed forward with her left hand set into the perfect position to defend from either frontal of backward attacks.

"It's time you see the strength of my Yoshitori (Graceful Bird)."

* * *

Riku smiled. "The power of her heart… The weapon that represents that power… Neji is finished." 'Sora… Kairi… do you see this? I've found new people to protect… I've failed you, but I still have a chance with them. Are you proud?' 

He sighed, but then noticed something… different. As Hinata stood there, a strange silhouette formed over her, obviously only visible to him. In the exact same stance as Hinata, wielding her Keyblade Pure Heart, was his old friend Kairi. Then, of its own accord, this apparition turned and smiled at him. This surprised him, and he blinked. As soon as he opened his eyes, though, the silhouette had vanished, and Hinata had vanished in a flash of light.

'Kairi… She's just like you, isn't she? Her heart is just as kind…' He then looked toward the special box made for the ninja still waiting for their matches, towards Naruto. 'And you… You're like me in some ways… but when I see you, I also see him…' He sighed mentally. 'Does this mean… Does this mean you have the same destiny they did?' He shook his heads at such thoughts. 'No. They'll be fine. They'll be stronger than Sora and Kairi. I'll make sure of it, even if it costs me my own life.' He returned to the fight.

* * *

"You—!" Neji blocked Hinata's weapon with a kunai and caught her hand's attack with his own hand. They grappled for a bit, each trying to overpower the other. 

'No doubt about it… I'll have to use _that_ Jutsu…' Hinata thought about her past month, remembering all the work she put into it…

_

* * *

_

_Hinata stared at the rubble of the stone that Riku had attacked. Her eyes widened as something sprouted in her heart, taking hold of it._

_"So… What do you think?" Riku asked, smirking as he picked up his saber. "Do you want to learn?"_

_"Yes!" Hinata was astonished at her quick answer. It was like she hadn't even wanted to consider NOT trying…_

_"I'm not surprised. However, I must warn you… When you master your version of this move, it will be your ace in the hole. Use it only to protect yourself and your allies."_

_"I've got it."_

_"Oh, and there's one exception."_

_"Hm?"_

_"If you can't completely crush your cousin in your next match in any other way, I want you to use this. And I do mean CRUSH. When you use this, you WILL win, undisputedly," Riku winked._

_"…Okay."_

_"I didn't hear that!"_

_"OKAY!"_

_"That's the spirit!" He smiled. "But first, we need to get you a sword…"_

_

* * *

_

_Hinata collapsed, only keeping on her knees by using Yoshitori as a crutch. "…I have to keep going… I WILL learn this technique… I will!" She got up, losing her balance momentarily, but tried again, rushing at the construct of darkness that stood before her, in the form of Neji…_

_She smiled as she landed from her technique, the shade dispersing as it hit the ground._

_"I… I did it…" She managed before collapsing, Yoshitori disappearing. Riku caught her and carried her to a nearby tree._

_"So you have, Hinata… So you have…" He smirked, and as she lapsed into dreams, she swore that she could hear him muttering to himself. "Has to be the strongest form of it yet…"_

* * *

Hinata jumped away, pointing her weapon at Neji, mouthing the words, "_Yoshitori Ninpou: Hanesenbon Seisha! (Graceful Bird Ninja Art: Feather Senbon Volley)_" At once, the feathers fired from her guard, hitting flying towards Neji. Neji dodged, eyes wide. 

'Those feathers… they were aimed at my tenketsu… Could they…' His unasked question was answered as a Feather hit one of his arms, and he felt a tenketsu close. He pulled out the feather and reopened his tenketsu. "Damnit!" He jumped away, dodging his cousin's feathers. He noted that as each feather was fired, the guard instantly replaced them. 'She has as much ammo as she needs…' "_Kaiten! (Rotation)_" He spun quickly, blocking several more feathers.

"_Yoshitori Ninpou: Chakra Shuuren! (Graceful Bird Ninja Art: Chakra Drill)_"Hinata spun in the opposite direction of Neji's own Rotation, creating a small hole that Hinata slipped through. She smiled as she kicked her still-spinning cousin. "Now… It starts…" Hinata sent her cousin into the air and spun her Rapier, placing it to rest on her shoulder. As she did, it glowed with Light Energy. She jumped after Neji, pointing Yoshitori forward. She thrust twice, closing two tenketsu. She then fell back before warping to a different perspective and thrust four more times. She did this again with eight strikes, then sixteen more, then thirty-two more, then…

'Only… sixty-three this time? But…' Neji numbly registered before Hinata appeared above him. She dived down, first sealing the final tenketsu with her hand, now one hundred twenty-eight in all, then slashing past Neji with her Rapier. She landed first, barely whispering the name of her technique:

"_Genshuu: Godaime: Omnislash. (Limit Break: Fifth Generation: Omnislash)_"

"Omni…slash…" Neji echoed as he hit the ground. "…But… But how… How could a failure like you… How could you perform such a technique… that I… a genius… never even dreamed of?"

"Because this technique is special," Hinata replied, remembering her training. "I put more than just my blood, sweat and tears into this. My heart and soul also went into the creation of these techniques. I did this so that I could follow my dreams, and break free of the destiny that others had set for me." She turned away and walked a few steps before stopping, as if remembering something. She turned her head, smiling. "Fate is never completely certain. You can break free of it, too, Neji. After all, unlike me, you're not a failure." She turned away again.

"Winner, Hyuuga Hinata." The proctor's words could not be heard over the crowd's cheers, "You know… when a captured bird grows wiser, they try to open the cage with their beaks. They don't ever give up, because they want so badly to fly free once more. However… For now, though, you need to rest."

* * *

"I told you… Hinata is no longer the failure she once seemed to be," Riku grinned. "Her power has awakened. Someday, she'll reach a level of power that stands near my own."

* * *

"And so the dove flies clumsily from the nest…" Llednar said, looking at her walk back. She seemed to be visibly lower on Chakra than she had been before the battle. "She will return, building up her strength so that she may fly farther next time… And someday, she will reach the sun." He closed his eyes. 'I wonder… what lies there, at the pinnacle of true power?' He dozed, waiting for Naruto's match…

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto teleported down to greet Hinata. He had returned his headband to normal. "That was awesome, Hinata! I didn't think you'd lose, but the way you moved at the end… It was like you'd sprouted wings! It was almost like you had become an angel, like in those stories!" 

"Thank you, Naruto," Hinata replied, blushing. "I guess training myself into the ground worked wonders…"

* * *

'Hyuuga Hinata… She has amazing potential. It is unfortunate that one like herself was limited by her own clan's misconceptions…' The Third Hokage lowered the brim of his hat. 'As for Neji… He fought well too… Truly unfortunate, these prodigies being limited so by the ways of their clan…' 

"Is something troubling you, Lord Hokage?" the Kazekage sitting next to him asked.

"I'm fine," Sarutobi assured him, smiling. "Just thinking about the future. Our world… it will be a grand place, with people such as the two that just fought. It was only a shame that they were so limited by the traditions that held their clan together…"

"Then why not do away with those traditions, so that no one is ever limited in such a way again?"

"Unfortunately, I do not hold such power…" he sighed. "I can only guide my people as best as I can."

"Hm…" The Kazekage looked down at the arena.

"The one who's fighting next… She's your daughter, isn't she?" the Hokage asked, making pleasant chat.

"Yes… I am very confident in her power…"

"Yes… Our two villages are filled with such grand, ambitious young people. It is they who will carry on our legacy, ushering in a new age of peace."

"Indeed… But is that so wise? As the world becomes peaceful, our villages suffer from cutback made by the leaders of our country… Many will lose their lifestyles…"

"…Yes… There is always that… but in the end, true peace is worth changing our way of life. That is why people become Ninja… So that they can protect their homeland. And that is why they step down when the need for protection is past… They rest and take new lives, knowing that they need not be charged with the lives of others…"

"…Yes." The Sand ninja's voice seemed a little hesitant, the Hokage shrugged it off.

* * *

Meanwhile, the match had already started, Shikamaru hiding in the trees much as Hinata had done, waiting for the shadow to grow. The battle went on, Shikamaru lead Temari from trap to trap, using the shadow created by a parachute he had made to extend his reach and finally tricking her. He finally got her, using the shadows created by Kunai stuck in the ground to sneak a shadow behind her… He mentally thanked Hinata for giving him that opening, and forced Temari to walk up to him. 

"Now then…"

"Oh, man, this is getting good…" Naruto was on the edge of the railing.

"COME ON, SHIKAMARU! GET HER WITH A 16-HIT COMBO!" Naruto winced at the racket coming from one of Shikamaru's teammates. Sakura smacked her forehead from embarrassment about having been friends with her…

"Five… Four… Three…" Riku started counting down.

"I quit."

"WHAAAATTT?" Naruto almost fell from the railing.

"…Why am I always off in my timing?" Riku wondered out loud.

"Wha… What did you say?" Temari stared.

"Well… I've already planned out the next one thousand moves… but I'm almost out of chakra anyway, and it's far too troublesome to go any further… So I quit," Shikamaru muttered. He released Temari. "I'm out of here…" he yawned as he left.

"…" The entire stadium was quiet. Naruto's jaw had dropped to the floor. Hinata, though she wasn't showing it, was shocked at the outcome.

Riku and Chouji, though, weren't surprised in the least.

'That's Shikamaru for ya…' Chouji thought.

'The lazy genius… Seems Asuma was completely right about him…' Riku laughed to himself. 'Guess I'll be paying up on our bet… But then again, he bet that Hinata would lose, and he lost that bet. Ah well…'

* * *

As Shikamaru and Temari returned to the waiting zone, the proctor called down Astaroth and Yun-Seong. However, it was only Astaroth that appeared. 

"That coward isn't coming. Don't worry, though, I'll kill him anyway…" Astaroth grumbled as he came down then turned about to return to the waiting area.

"Huh… Well, I guess that means… the next match is… Uzumaki Naruto against Haruno Sakura!"

_

* * *

_

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Man, and I thought that Sasuke was the only pyromaniac on that team! I gotta end this quick!"_

_**Next Time on XIII Ninja: Finals Time! Exploding Sakura Blizzard! Also, the Dragoon faces Bugs, Full Systems GO! Testing Technology's Limits! Intermission, then Astaroth faces a Truly Grand Foe!**_

_"Let's see how you take THIS!"_

* * *

Cloud: "…Rip-off." 

Hinata: "No. Upgrade."

Cloud: "That was totally a rip-off, down to the little spin-your-sword-then-rest-it-on-your-shoulder-deal. Totally a rip-off."

"Either way, it was cool, and it PWNed Neji. I'm happy."

Cloud: "Great… Now EVERYONE is going to copy me. Stupid…"

Shino: "I am interested in what this change in match-ups and abilities will do to the story."

"Probably throw it out the window… Which could be good, or it could be bad… hmm… I've already taught Naruto Rasengan too early… And given him greater access to the Kyuubi's Chakra… I've taught Hinata Jutsus that mostly pwn her canon techniques… I've given Sakura her Movie-only technique, Sakura Blizzard, and let her win instead of tying with Ino… Knocked Gaara out of the dark side extremely early… kicked Kankuro's butt with a Super-Genius… Plus several other things… Dang, I've done a LOT!"

Sora: "I think you threw the script of canon out the window the moment Naruto got set into a different team…"

"… Yeah, but I'm still using the basic timeline… Anyway, a lot of junk happening next chapter… See you then!"


	23. Finals Time P2

III Ninja

By James the Fox

"Come on… Jump, darn it! JUMP!"

Manaphy: "Jump! Jump! Jump!"

Sora: "What's he doing?"

Bowser: "Playing Super Mario Brothers 3 on the Wii."

"Thank you, Virtual Console."

Sephiroth: "He's become addicted to the Wii all over again."

Riku: "Just when we thought he had gotten over that… Eh, ah well. He's got the chapter here, anyway. We can take care of the rest. On to the Fic!"

* * *

As Shikamaru and Temari returned to the waiting zone, the proctor called down Astaroth and Yun-Seong. However, it was only Astaroth that appeared.

"That coward isn't coming. Don't worry, though, I'll kill him anyway…" Astaroth grumbled as he came down then turned about to return to the waiting area.

"Huh… Well, I guess that means… the next match is… Uzumaki Naruto against Haruno Sakura!"

* * *

Sakura tried to remain calm as she walked, almost as rigidly as a statue, down the stairs to her match. With every step, she remembered another part of Naruto's battle with Gaara._

* * *

He roared as the bandages covering the fur-covered forearms burned away. At the same time, the seal on the back of his neck spread, covering his body, even his clothing, completely. Naruto bellowed again as the strange, heart-seeming symbol was placed upon his back, a white silhouette against a dark backdrop. This same mark placed itself upon the back of Naruto's palms. Lastly, a dark tail burst forth. _"_**Now, feel my wrath!**_"

* * *

She stopped, her eyes widening in horror._

* * *

_

_The Leaf Ninja roared in anger at his opponent and charged, slashing into Gaara's arm and tearing deep into the sand arm._

* * *

'Can I… Can I really… beat him?' She stared at the ground. '…No. I can't. But… That's not what counts. I have to try, no matter what. I can't just quit. No… That's not how a ninja is supposed to act.' She clenched her fists tight. 'I just have to do what I can.' Gathering her resolve, she walked the rest of the steps.

* * *

_Finals Time! Exploding Sakura Blizzard! Also, the Dragoon Faces Bugs, Full Systems GO! Testing Technology's Limits! Intermission, then Astaroth faces a Truly Grand Foe!_

* * *

Naruto stood, waiting for his opponent. 'Alright… After Hinata's battle, I'm psyched up! I'm ready to kick some ass, dattebayo!' He directed his thoughts to the Organization. 'I'm going this one alone, got it, guys?'

"No problem," Xemnas replied, face first in the dirty orange book. "We'll cheer you on from here…"

"Yeah, just make sure lots of stuff BURNS!" Axel clenched his hands in front of him for emphasis, his eyes ablaze.

"But don't destroy the village, please. That's the last thing we want…" Roxas said, plucking a few strings of Demyx's sitar. Suddenly, water rained down on Axel, dousing his eyes.

Naruto grinned, and looked at Sakura, who was walking down to the center of the ring. Again he heard the mutterings of the villagers about him:

"Wait, he's going up against that girl?"

"Ugh… Get the medics, this is going to be a massacre. I mean, a poor girl like her, against a monster like him?"

"I wonder if she realizes just what she's getting herself into?"

"Poor, poor child…"

Naruto shut out the words, waiting for the proctor to announce the beginning of the match. Apparently, something on his face was betraying him, because both Sakura and the proctor were looking at him worriedly.

"…Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Just… Let's get this over with. I'm not going to let you win this fight." Naruto got into a fighting stance. "Nothing personal…"

"Ready… Begin!" Naruto vanished, and a portal opened just above Sakura, who ducked to dodge the swipe of Naruto's fist. Naruto retreated into the darkness again, this time showing himself just behind her.

"Take this!" Naruto released a kick at Sakura's ribs, which connected, sending the pink-haired kunoichi to the ground. However, as she fell, Sakura threw a kunai at Naruto, who caught the blade. He smirked, until he felt a heat under his palms. His eyes widened, and he only barely was able to warp away from the explosion.

"Well… She's got spunk," Riku admitted. "Hiding the tags under a genjutsu to make them look like the normal wrappings… Genius."

'Damn! And here I thought Sasuke was the only pyro on Team Seven!' He landed, a smirk on his face. "Not bad, Sakura. However… It's not enough!" Naruto charged, summoning his claws. Sakura swung back her cloak, revealing a large hoard of kunai. She smiled as she chucked five of them at him.

"How's that?"

"Still not good enough!" Naruto deflected the first one, cutting open a bag full of small pieces of paper. Hinata started at the scraps.

"Oh no…" she breathed.

"Eh?" Naruto looked at the pieces of paper, realizing that they were explosive tags just as more kunai came at him. "Then again…" Naruto warped away, just barely avoiding the other kunai. "Nope! Still not good enough!"

"Damn…" Sakura cursed. "He noticed… Well… Let's see how he handles this!" She pulled more kunai out and proceeded to throw them at Naruto, who jumped about, dodging the many explosives. Naruto back flipped, careful not to cut any bags, and launched himself into the air. Sakura threw several more kunai at Naruto, who nimbly dodged, spinning and whirling like a gymnast. He created a clone, and used it to launch himself away from another horde. He repeated this action until he was above Sakura, and dropped down, attempting to pound her. In desperation, Sakura threw another group of kunai at him, but missed. At the last second, she jumped away, barely dodging Naruto's attack. She smiled as she pulled out a kunai. Naruto looked at her, puzzled, until he noticed:

"Shit! They're all around me!" Indeed, the kunai Sakura had 'missed' with had landed only inches from him. Sakura threw her now-activated kunai.

"_Sakura Fubuki no Jutsu!_" The kunai exploded, leaving a great dust plume.

"Naruto!" Hinata cried out.

"Well… I didn't expect that…" Riku said, shocked. As the dust cleared, a crater was revealed. Naruto laid in the center of it, unconscious. Sakura jumped in the air.

"WOOHOO! I did it!" she screamed over and over again, absolutely ecstatic.

"The winner is—"

"I wouldn't say that."

Everyone stared as, almost instantly, a shadow clone had appeared behind Sakura, grabbing her arms.

"W-wha?" Sakura could only stare as the Naruto in the crater got up, grinning.

"Did you really think a few explosions could beat me?" he laughed good-naturedly. "Sorry Sakura, but with my warping skills, there was no way you'd win." He walked up to stand only a foot from her.

'Of… Of course! That Jutsu… he warped away at the last second and created a shadow clone… then he warped back and pretended to be unconscious while his clone snuck up behind me… I should have guessed…' She closed her eyes, but opened them again when she felt something on her forehead. When she did, she noticed a paper… dangling… from… her… 'Shit!'

"Now, you've got two choices. One, you can give up, and we both get out of this alive. Two, I activate this tag and warp a good distance away. I don't think there's a person alive who can survive a point-blank explosion to the head, though…" He shrugged. "Your choice, Sakura…"

Sakura stared at him incredulously. What kind of choice was THAT? "…I… I forfeit."

"…Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!" The boos immediately erupted from the stands. Naruto ignored them, and pulled the tag off, prompting a sigh of relief from Sakura.

"You know, Sakura…" Naruto grinned. "If you hadn't quit, I might have been in some deep trouble…"

"Huh?" Sakura stared, confused.

"You see…" He activated the tag, and a few seconds later, it burst into a bunch of confetti. "That tag… it was a dud," He explained, rubbing the back of his head. "I was bluffing the whole time, you see… Heh…" He smirked and warped back up to the waiting room. Sakura stared at the spot that he had been standing at…

"**NARUTOOOOO! I'M GONNA KILL YOU, SHANNARO!**"

'Dammit…' Naruto thought as he hid behind Shino. Inner Sakura was SCARY!

Sakura looked about as she stomped back to the stairs. As she did, she noticed something… off.

'Wait… One… Two… Eight… Didn't I throw more Kunai than that?' She mentally shrugged, 'Must of blown those kunai to bits…'

* * *

Fiona fidgeted as she walked down to the center of the arena. 'Okay, I have an advantage. Several, in fact. My Katon jutsus can easily keep his bugs at bay, and my summon will be able to eat any bugs that aren't daunted by that… When the last of his bugs are beaten, he'll have nothing to fight back with, and my spear will finish him off…' She grinned mentally.

Beside her, Shino betrayed no emotion, no sliver of what his plans were. When they reached the center of the field, they got into their starting position.

"Ready… Go!"

Shino jumped back as Fiona bit her left thumb and made several hand seals. "Here it comes… _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!" As the resulting smoke cleared, a large lizard appeared beneath her. The large, bright green creature had a single crest on its head. Riku noted that the creature looked similar to a Plumed Basilisk, a small reptile he had seen in one of the worlds he had visited. The lizard looked at Shino, then to Fiona, who was now perched on the summon's back.

"Is this the one you want me to help defeat?" the lizard asked, its voice fully revealing itself to be female. Fiona nodded.

"Interesting…" Llednar muttered. "So she can use a summoning Jutsu?"

"It was one of the first things Knocfella taught her. He believed that the sooner a ninja gains a summon, the more time the ninja has to get to know them…" Remedi said.

"Hm… That is a good point," Llednar scratched his chin.

Meanwhile, Shino was being kept busy, dodging swipes coming from both the Basilisk and Fiona's spear. Meanwhile, Fiona also used Gōkakyū no Jutsu to try and burn the other ninja, something that kept Shino from sending his insects out. Shino continued, wordlessly, to dodge attack after attack. Never attacking, only evading.

Fiona growled. Ignore her, would he? Almost unnoticeably, her skin began to acquire a light, crystal-blue sheen.

A trait somewhat unique to the members of the Twem Clan was their incredibly powerful and unstable emotions. Their anger especially was dangerous, both to others and to themselves, for they would easily slide into to a berserker-like madness when angered. For that reason, all of the clan's members spent a constant amount of concentration at all times to controlling themselves and their emotions.

Atop this, was the way that their bodies would begin to transform whenever they exerted themselves beyond a certain point. The most obvious symptom of this transformation, was the bright blue coloration that their skin and other body parts would take on. This instability and ability to transform was known to the clan, as well as a few other people, as Omega's Influence.

Llednar, as Biskmatar of the Twem clan, had had far more training than his cousin Fiona, both in controlling his emotions, as well as his transformation. Neither did Fiona keep track of how much of her power she was utilizing, at any given time.

In short, Fiona was rapidly getting pissed, and her control was slipping.

"She's getting sloppy…" Llednar murmured with disapproval.

"Omega's Influence…" Riku muttered. "This could be really good… or really bad for her."

"Grr… Why won't you just stop moving?!" Shino didn't reply, instead ducking nimbly and rolling beneath the Basilisk's attack.

"Fiona, keep your temper…" the lizard implored, but she was ignored as Fiona jumped to a nigh-impossible height.

"_Alfitaria no Yari: Doragon Chōyaku no Jutsu! (Spear of Alfitaria: Dragon Leap Jutsu)_" Fiona pulled out her spear. "_Doragon Tsume! (Dragon Claw)_" She hit the ground, only barely missing Shino. "DAMMIT!" She charged at Shino again, slashing and thrusting with her spear. Shino continued to dodge, and she continued to lose her cool, attacking again and again.

She jumped back, finally losing any desire to leave her opponent alive. "NOW! Katon: Gōkakyū no— eh?" She landed, realizing that she could not breathe fire. Then her legs buckled from underneath her, and suddenly she found herself lacking the chakra to continue fighting. Her skin returned to its normal hue as she collapsed to the ground. She cast a glance to her summon, who had likewise also collapsed.

Then Fiona saw Shino reach out a single hand calmly, palm outwards, and to her shock, multitudes of insects detached themselves from the giant lizard and herself, flying over to their master like a great, black cloud.

"How? When did you…"

"When we first entered the battlefield," was the Aburame's response.

"What? But that's not possible… I would have noticed…"

Shino smirked, even though she would not be able to see it beneath his coat's high collar. "You would have noticed so many at once? No… I only sent one insect. A female. Female Kikai insects produce a pheromone that males of its kind can smell, and thus track from over a kilometer's distance away. The rest, I had hidden underground even while we walked. When you summoned your lizard, I had these remote insects come out and attach themselves, both to your summon, and to you. They came from behind, and from below as well. Since you had so focused on me, you failed to notice any of this. Then as soon as my insects were in position…"

"Of… Of course… I didn't look down… I never expected… that you would release them into the ground… I've only seen them… come from your sleeves, flying through the air…" Her eyes slid shut, her body completely drained of chakra. 'Dammit…'

* * *

"Where the HELL is Sasuke?" Naruto asked to the air, only five seconds before Sasuke was to be disqualified, and four and a half seconds before Sasuke arrived in time. Naruto couldn't help but raise an eyebrow about the new look Sasuke had. He had done away with the high collar, replacing it with a white scarf (one end going down his back and another going down his front) with the Uchiha Clan Symbol embroidered near the end of it. He had also gone sleeveless, though those wrist-warmers still adorned his wrists. His shorts remained the same, except for the blue at the edges. He now wore bandages from his knees down to his sandals. Naruto pouted. "If he kept us waiting because he needed to look pretty for the ladies…"

"Well, at least he's not wearing black latex…" Axel grumbled, too low for anyone to hear.

"Axel, are you TRYING to break the fourth—" Roxas suddenly found his mouth covered by Xemnas.

"Do not mention that. It only attracts… him."

"Him?"

"Yes… Him."

"Us not mentioning it doesn't stop him from coming… Where IS he, anyways?"

"When it comes to him, it's best not to dwell on it, Roxas."

"Oh… Okay." Meanwhile, the next match had begun. Sasuke was using his Sharingan and a newfound speed in an attempt to get around Mid's attacks. Meanwhile, Mid himself was getting more and more agitated by Sasuke dodging the attacks. He had more control over Omega's Influence than Fiona, almost as much as his brother, but not enough to fully control his anger. He sighed, activating his Chakra Shield to block another of Sasuke's attempts. He noted that Sasuke had applied Chakra to his hands and feet to keep himself from being burned by the shield. Sasuke jumped back, obviously displeased with his attempts thus far. He jumped back to the wall, preparing to strike with his best move. He started pushing his chakra into his right hand. Quickly enough, what seemed to be sparks of lighting seemed to emit from Sasuke's hand.

"Now… _Chidori! (One Thousand Birds)_" As the technique was announced, Sasuke launched forward, and the sound of a thousand birds chirping was heard throughout Konoha. Mid dodged just as Sasuke broke through the shield in one fell blast.

'I see… My barrier can only take so much… Hm…' Mid could feel his anger growing at how he found that his shield still couldn't take an extremely powerful, extremely concentrated strike of chakra. He stuffed his rage down, hiding it away form his mind. 'I have to find a way to remove that from the equation… Hmm… Maybe… A chakra nullifier? No, that would dispel my shield, too… The answer will come, someday. But for now…' "I quit."

"Huh?" Sasuke asked.

"It's obvious that I cannot win this fight. I've already used what power I have… My shield was one of the few things that I had going for me…" 'There's always Omega's Influence, but that would drive me into such a rage that I couldn't even think to use my only great attribute: My mind.' "Besides, all I wanted from this tournament was to field-test my latest experiments. You showed me very well just what they are lacking… Thank you, Uchiha Sasuke." Mid bowed, and left for the stands.

"That's Mid for you…" Llednar sighed. "Never one to let his anger get the better of him…"

"… The winner, Uchiha Sasuke! And with this, the first round comes to a close. We will now hold an intermission for the competitors to get their strength and wits back…" The proctor bowed and left.

* * *

"Neji."

"Uncle, what is it that you want with me now?"

"… I want you to have this."

"Hm?… This is… My father's…"

"I was planning to give this to you when you proved yourself mentally capable for it… It seems, though, that I missed that moment."

"…"

"I am… sorry."

"… Don't bow to me, uncle."

* * *

"So, Naruto…" Axel started. "Do you have a plan to take on Astaroth?"

"I think… I'm going to hit him with every trick I have, until he drops."

"Uzumaki… Naruto." Naruto stopped in his tracks, looking straight at Gaara, who suddenly stood before him alongside Temari and Kankuro. Kankuro had either gotten a new puppet, or had repaired his old one, because the space on his back was again occupied by a bandaged object. Naruto eyed Gaara warily, as if ready for another fight. "… Thank you."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, startled.

"You… helped me realize something… important," Gaara continued in his usual monotone. "One… may become even stronger when they fight for others… than when they fight for themselves."

"Oh… Uh, you're welcome, then!" Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Someday… I think you'll have just as many precious people as myself, maybe even more." Naruto gave a thumbs-up. "That's for certain, dattebayo!"

Meanwhile, Roxas and the others were surprised by a visit from Naminé. Somehow, because Gaara's heart was nearby, perhaps, they were able to talk to her. Axel stared at the large creature of sand that was chained up behind the blond.

"Man… I never would have thought that our little Naminé would have such spunk to beat the hell out of a demon like that!" Axel laughed.

"Naminé…" Marluxia started.

"Don't bother. I already know what you're going to say," Naminé smiled. "I forgive you."

"Well, Naminé… what do you make of the next round?" Xemnas asked, mostly idle chatter.

"I'm not sure. I don't know much about Naruto's powers, nor the other guy's. As for Hinata and Temari, I'd have do give my vote to Temari. She's got the skills… However, that's not very important."

"Huh?"

"Listen. The Sand Village… It and the Sound Village are planning an attack. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro are planning to stay out of it, but… Things aren't good."

"An attack?" Roxas stared at Naminé. Meanwhile, Naruto was getting the same information from Gaara.

"Yes. The Sound Village wants nothing less than the destruction of Konoha. Also… Their leader seems interested in capturing you and Uchiha Sasuke," Gaara finished. Naruto stared at the sand ninja.

"… Well, then that's what he's gonna get!" Naruto slammed his fist into his palm. "I'll kick his ass so hard… But first, I have to beat Astaroth."

* * *

"Do you really think he can do it?" Riku asked. Jiraiya nodded.

"Yes. He can and will win. I know it." Jiraiya went into one of his many extravagant poses. "And I, the great Toad Sage, Jiraiya, am never wrong about these things!" Riku shook his head.

'You'd think being mentally messed up in one way or another was a prerequisite to being a strong Konoha ninja… Then again…' He pulled out the dirty little book he always kept on him. 'I'm not one to talk, am I?' He gave a perverted giggle, but quickly went back to business. "Jiraiya… I want to warn you. I can feel a great darkness nearby. I think it might be… Orochimaru."

"I see… Well, then that means an attack won't be too far off now, will it? I'll go warn the ANBU."

"…Got it. I'll watch the stadium." Riku replied as Jiraiya left. "Hmm… Hmhmhm…" He giggled as he read his book. 'Jiraiya, you… are a GENIUS!'

* * *

"Now, the next round will begin. Hyuuga Hinata against Sabaku no Temari." The two Genin stood off.

"Nothing personal," Temari muttered.

"Same goes to you," Hinata replied.

"Begin!" Hinata instantly went on the offensive, getting close to Temari, who pulled out her Fan to attack as she retreated.

'Damn… She's not letting me get any distance!' Temari thought.

'Damn… She's not letting me get in close!' Hinata thought at the same time. She summoned Yoshitori and fired off several rounds of feathers, placing chakra into them to allow them to get past the inevitable gust of wind Temari summoned. The feathers blasted right through the reaction, hitting Temari in a chakra point on her right shoulder, making her falter for a moment. However, a moment was all Hinata needed. "_Chakra Shuuren! (Chakra Drill)_" Hinata landed a harsh spinning attack, knocking the wind out of Temari. Hinata followed through with a swat to the face. Rapiers weren't meant for slashing, but the weapon still hit the older woman hard. Temari hit the ground, a small cut on her face, and was pinned down by a swarm of feathers. Hinata pointed Yoshitori at the sand kunoichi. Sighing, Temari surrendered.

"Winner, Hyuuga Hinata!" Hinata freed Temari and helped her back to the stands. 'That was fast…' "Next match, Uzumaki Naruto against Astaroth!"

* * *

"What do you think, Lord Hokage? I wonder which of these two are better? My ultimate ninja, even better than Gaara, or your ninja?" The Kazekage asked.

"I am not certain… This could be an interesting match," the Hokage replied.

"Surely you have some idea?"

"Naruto holds talent, but Astaroth… He is quite sturdy. I cannot say that either is better than the other."

* * *

"Ready?" the proctor asked.

"… I am." Naruto said, narrowing his eyes. 'Fuzzy-brows… I hope you're in those stands. This fight is for you!'

"I think I'll particularly enjoy killing you!" Astaroth grinned.

"… Begin!" Naruto jumped back, pulling out a kunai with a tag attached. Astaroth dodged easily (which seemed odd, due to Astaroth's sheer size) and charged forward, aiming a punch at the leaf ninja. It connected, and Naruto hit the ground hard, feeling a large amount of blood coming from his cheek. He felt his face, and grimaced at the three holes on his check.

'Guess those nails aren't just for show… better be careful,' he thought to himself as he got up. "Alright then! Here I go!" Naruto rushed forward, warping just before Astaroth would have landed a punch on him. At the same time, a portal opened just above Astaroth, and Naruto dived down, summoning his claws. He landed on the nails protruding from Astaroth's back, sticking to them with chakra, and proceeded to claw at Astaroth's exposed back. The monstrous experiment smirked, not even seeming to notice the attack.

"Well, this isn't what I expected of you, kiddo!" Astaroth chided as Naruto realized that his claws weren't even piercing the older ninja's skin.

'How—" Naruto was suddenly forced to jump away from his post as Astaroth charged backward into a wall. Naruto landed a small distance away, and started forming hand seals. "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning Jutsu)_" At once, a large toad appeared beneath the blond. "Here's a taste of this! Ready?" Naruto asked the toad, which nodded. "Take THIS! _Gama-yu Endan! (Toad-Oil Flame Blast)_" The resulting fireball engulfed Astaroth, clouding him from view. "Did… Did I…" As if to answer his unasked question, a large axe flew from the flames, destroying the toad beneath Naruto's feet. "Shit!" Naruto landed, glaring at his opponent, who walked out of the flames.

"That wasn't fun, kid! I expected much better of you!" He walked forward as Naruto retreated.

"What kind of… What ARE you?" Naruto was answered with a backhand smack, sending him flying back to the opposite wall.

"Where's the power you showed against ol' sandy? I want to see it! SHOW ME!" Astaroth flailed his arms about, as if he was having a temper tantrum. "Who do I have to kill to make you use it?" He looked back at the waiting room, where Hinata watched nervously. "That one?"

'He… He WANTS me to use the Kyuubi's power?' Naruto thought to himself. 'Well… If he really wants me to… Don't complain later!' Naruto stood once more on all fours, the bandages covering his claws burned away. He looked at Astaroth, his eyes having become a burning red.

'He's… He's going to use that again?' Hinata stared. 'Naruto-kun…'

_"Here I GO!" _Naruto warped behind Astaroth, slashing fiercely at the behemoth's back. The next moment, he had appeared in front of Astaroth, cutting his front side. Naruto then warped a small distance and outstretched his right hand. At once, three tails came from the ground, wrapping around the purple ninja. Naruto's hand glowed with dark energy, which formed itself into a flame._ "Behold… **Dark Firaga**!"_ Naruto pulled back his hand, and thrust it forward. The flame became impossibly large as it flew towards Astaroth. The attack struck, and Naruto smirked. However, that smirk turned to a look of shock as Astaroth walked out of the smoke cloud. He walked across the field, picking up his axe as he did so. _'Shit! That should have beaten him!'_

"You're not even half as good as I thought you'd be! Why is that? Come ON!" In panic, Naruto reached into his pouch and threw another kunai. Astaroth deflected it, but tilted his head at the small pieces of paper that came out, sticking to him. "Eh?"

"Wait… That's…" Sakura stared.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_" Again, a toad appeared. Naruto nodded at the toad, which spit out a large amount of oil, all of which covered Astaroth. "_Now… __Sakura Fubuki no Jutsu, __Naruto-style!_" Now, Naruto threw an exploding tag at Astaroth.

'Huh… He took at least one of Sakura's kunai with exploding tag pouches to use later on… smart kid,' the proctor thought. 'Added to his skills so far… He just might have Chuunin potential… maybe…'

The resulting explosion covered half the battlefield in dust. Naruto returned to normal, preparing for the worst. He summoned a shadow clone, just in case.

"Heh, heh, heh… Not bad, kid. Not bad at all…" Naruto instantly started going through what he had learned. As the shadow clone helped, a spiraling ball of chakra appeared. Astaroth charged out of the smoke, unscathed, rushing towards Naruto. "But unless you can do better, you're dead, NOW!"

'This better work…' Naruto thought to himself. 'Come on… Come on… Closer… CLOSER…' Astaroth charged forward, raising his axe. 'Just a little more… NOW!' With a battle cry, Naruto thrust his hand forward, pounding the Rasengan into Astaroth's chest. "RASENGAN!" The attack struck true, and Astaroth flew several feet away. "…I did it… I… I can't believe… I did it…" he stammered to himself, staring at Astaroth's body.

"Heh… That… That was… BEAUTIFUL!"

'…the HELL?' Astaroth stood once more. At the point the Rasengan had hit, there were several cracks in Astaroth's chest, as if the man's skin had been made of stone. 'Well, at least I know that he's not completely invincible… His chest is a weak point. But still… to have taken such an attack and still be standing…' His thoughts were blown away by an explosion up near where the two Kage sat. He stared at the location, and saw two figures on the roof. One was the Hokage, and the other…

"Orochimaru!" Larxene growled. "What's he doing here?"

'Something bad, that's for sure. The Chuunin Exams can wait… we've gotta get up there!' Naruto warped away, much to the anger of Astaroth.

"AGHHHHH!" he roared.

* * *

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Sarutobi-sensei?" Orochimaru smiled as his subordinates set up the walls.

"Not long enough, I'd say!" Orochimaru dodged a strike from above as Naruto came out of a portal. "Old Man! I'm here to help!" Naruto rubbed his nose.

"And for revenge…" Larxene rumbled dangerously. Naruto grinned, fusing with Larxene. At once, Naruto's hair became smoother and longer, going down to his shoulders. His eyes changed to a fierce green, and his claws vanished.

When Naruto spoke again, it was both his and Larxene's voice that barely breathed: "I can't tell you how long I've waited for this chance… Orochimaru-sensei."

* * *

"Take THAT!" Riku smashed the blunt edge of his saber into a Sound-nin, hitting another with his Keyblade. When he landed, he stared at what he saw. Another person had entered the barrier, and it was… "Naruto!?" 'Oh, boy… Naruto… What the hell are you doing!?'

* * *

Meanwhile, Astaroth had bashed through the wall of the stadium in anger, and was charging through the nearby patch of forest.

"Looking for an opponent?" a voice asked from behind.

"Hm?" Astaroth turned to face Hinata and Sasuke.

"We'll be your foe, in Naruto's place," Hinata said, summoning Yoshitori as Sasuke activated his Sharingan.

Astaroth smiled, momentarily diverted from his anger.

* * *

"An invasion…" Llednar said as he smashed into another Sand Ninja. "We should head back to our Clan's compound to see if our… less capable fighters are alright."

"Yeah," Mid replied as he shot one of his opponents.

"Then it is settled?" The head of the Twem Clan landed behind the brothers.

"Hai, Remedi-sama." The three Twem Clan members departed the battlefield.

* * *

The three sand ninja sat in an abandoned room in the stadium when they heard the noise. Gaara looked up.

"The invasion… has begun."

* * *

"_Naruto… What are you doing?_

"_Naruto… Why do you fight me, when you should be fighting this village?_"

"_I…_"

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: The Destruction of Konoha: Naruto's Dilemma, Mid's Battle, Remedi's Strength, And Much More! Don't Miss It!**_

"_Don't forget the choices you've made…_"

* * *

"Yay for cliffies!"

Naruto: "You like doing horrible stuff to various characters, don't you?"

"Not in particular. I mean, I hate the latest chapter of GoW because I did horrible things to some of my favorite characters…"

Shadow: "You've said that a thousand times now."

Link: "Yeah."

"Shadow, Link, you're back!" (Hugs both)

Shadow: "It's either you or… both that Hedgehog and that Plumber. I think you're less headache-inducing than both of them."

Link: "He dragged me here because he needed sane company."

"…Oh."

Shadow: "Also, we both forgive you."

"You do?"

Link: "Way I see it, if Nintendo doesn't put it in any games, movies, etc., then it's not part of my canon. Therefore, my family, friends, etc., are not really dead."

Shadow: "Ditto, only replace Nintendo with Sega."

"Ah, right."

Nintendo Rep: "Hey, Link. I just got word that in the next game, no matter what the player does, Ganondorf still destroys the world. Sorry, man." (Walks off.)

"…Oh, HELL no. See you folks later. I've got me a company to kill."

Link: "Right behind you."


	24. Naruto's Dilemma

III Ninja

By James the Fox

Proofread by The 17th Immortal

Shadow: "Man… James is LATE."

Link: "Where the HELL is he, anyway?"

Shadow: "Right there." (Points back to James and Manaphy, who are playing the Wii) "He's been busying himself with NiGHTS, Mario, and some stupid over-the-top snowboarders. I only barely managed to persuade him to get back to XIII Ninja."

James: "In the nights… dream delight…" (Shot by Yuna. Doesn't notice.) "I want to see you smile again…"

Yuna: "What the… Well, I guess it's safe to assume that he isn't going anywhere…" (Turns to audience.) "Forgive his horrible singing."

Link: "Because James can't say the disclaimer that he wanted to say for this chapter, I will say it for him: There is a scene or two that James… Didn't particularly enjoy writing. You'll see what I mean when you get to it. Anyway, James didn't do it because he liked it. He did it because it was an important part of the plot in this arc. Carry on."

Shadow: "Well, hope you ninja-wannabes and Disney/Square fans have had a good holiday, whatever it may be. Now then…" (Doesn't notice James being mauled by nastily pissed off-looking Moogles and dragged off. Nor does anyone notice Manaphy grab James' controls and continue playing.) "ARE YOU READY!?"

Link: (sighing and palming his forehead) "Enough with the theatrics. Get on with the Fic."

* * *

"The invasion… Has begun."_

* * *

Naruto's Dilemma, Mid's Battle, Remedi's Strength, and Much More! Don't Miss It!_

* * *

"Take this, bastard!" Orochimaru dodged yet another series of lightning bolts before ducking a swing from behind by Naruto. He spun, twisting beneath the slash of the yellow knives and landed a strike that pushed Naruto several feet away.

"Stay out of this, Naruto-kun… This fight has nothing to do with you, and I would hate to harm you…" Orochimaru purred. "Unlike most people in this village."

Naruto ignored him and charged again, disappearing and reappearing above Orochimaru as three in the time it would have taken for lightning to strike. Orochimaru back-flipped before stopping short, sinking into the ground to dodge a hail of shuriken from Sarutobi. He rose out of the ground behind the Hokage, about to strike, only to be knocked away by Naruto, who came out from a portal from Orochimaru's left to send a lightning bolt. The snake-ninja landed on his feet a fair distance away, a saddened look on his face.

"Naruto-kun… Why do you fight for this village?" His question went unanswered as Naruto had appeared before him again, ready to pound him into the ground. Orochimaru dodged and jumped away from Naruto, forming a distinct series of hand seals as he did so. Sarutobi realized what was about to happen and threw another group of shuriken at the traitor. However, the shuriken were stopped by a coffin rising from the ground, followed by another.

'_Two coffins… and he's about to call a third… NO! I have to stop that last summoning! For Naruto's sake, more than mine…_' He formed a seal, and the third coffin stopped in mid-rise, then sank back into the ground. The other two coffins opened, and from them stepped two ninja. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"It doesn't matter how many guys you have on your side… I'll still kill you, Orochimaru."

* * *

"HAHAHAHA!" Astaroth laughed as he knocked Sasuke away with the blunt of his axe before jumping after him. Hinata quickly dived from a higher branch, landing a blow with her rapier near his collarbone, only for the attack to practically bounce off. Sasuke growled and jumped forward, forming hand seals.

"_Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!_" Hinata dodged the incoming fireball, which flew at the juggernaut, engulfing him. A mere moment later, the fire dissipated, leaving Astaroth none the worse for wear.

'…_How… How are we supposed to beat this guy?_' Hinata asked herself.

* * *

Remedi dodged a Fuuma shuriken and threw her sickle, catching it deep in a Sand-nin's chest. She smirked and pulled on the chain, her sickle messily dislodging itself and finishing the man. Meanwhile, Llednar's left forearm and cheek were bleeding slightly from using Omega, and a larger Sound-nin laid in two pieces before him, the area of his body between his legs and upper chest gone. Mid had gunned down a young Sand kunoichi.

"Unfortunate. She was kinda cute," the younger blond sighed, adjusting his glasses.

"Mind back on track, Mid," Llednar murmured.

Mid bowed lightly, "Yes, Llednar-sama."

"Namunamu!" All three turned at the voice, and looked at the newcomer standing on top of a nearby building. He wore baggy clothing, and his face was covered by a white mask depicting a smiling demonic face with the symbol of Suna on its forehead. His entire right arm had been replaced with a strange wooden replica of one, with the name "Chiyo" written in small kanji on the back of the hand, like a craftsman's signature. On his back was a sashimono depicting a mountainous region's sunset. He drew a dha from his rope-belt, pointing it at them dramatically with his wooden hand. "I am Yoshimitsu! Behold my magnificence!" He bowed. Llednar prepared to strike, only for Mid to step forward, an outstretched arm between Llednar and Yoshimitsu.

"Llednar-sama, Remedi-sama, you don't have time for this nut… You must protect the clan. I will hold him."

Llednar looked at his older brother for only a moment before nodding in acquiescence. "Don't fail us, Mid." Mid nodded, and Llednar and Remedi left. Yoshimitsu glanced at the two before turning his attention back to Mid.

"So this is the path you have chosen, boy? Very well, then… I shall assist…" He made a leaping flip forward, tumbling through the air to come to a landing on the ground in front of Mid, "…thy suicide!"

* * *

"Do you think he will live?" Llednar asked as he and Remedi jumped from roof to roof.

"He is strong, even though he does not show it. He is, after all, your brother, and a Twem. He will not fail in his mission," Remedi responded as she threw a single shuriken at a nearby Sand-nin, distracting him just long enough for the Leaf-nin he had been fighting to land a lethal blow.

"Yes… But will he live?"

"…I cannot say."

* * *

"Just DIE already!" Naruto screamed in frustration as his attack destroyed another mud clone in disguise. '_No, I have to calm down…_' the boy thought as he ducked a swipe from the Second Hokage. A dozen meters away, Sarutobi was having just as much trouble as Naruto in defeating the Snake Sannin, though he was not showing his frustration. "Enough of this…" Naruto growled as he vanished like lighting and reappeared behind the Second Hokage, landing six harsh blows from six hands filled with knives. Naruto pushed the Second Hokage to the ground before turning his attention to Orochimaru.

"Big mistake, Naruto-kun," came the whisper of the snake Sannin. Naruto quickly found out why as the Second Hokage came up even faster than he had fallen down and had now landed a punch to the back of Naruto's head. The boy fell forward, landing on hands and knees as the blow finally forced Larxene to return to her place in Naruto's Heart. As he lifted his head up, Naruto was stopped in his attempts to stand as he looked at Orochimaru, who had kneeled down to put himself on the same level as Naruto.

"Naruto-kun… why? What pushes you to fight for this village? You KNOW that they have committed countless transgressions against you… Why do you trust them, when they don't trust you?"

Naruto wanted to respond, but found that his mouth felt like his mouth was glued into its current position, just as the rest of his body was.

"Even your precious Hokage hides things from you. You know that," Orochimaru said gently. "They've done it to you before, you know. They hid the knowledge of your… prisoner… from you, and they hated you for something you didn't even know about. What will stop them from doing that again? What if, Naruto-kun, they are doing it again already?"

Naruto's eyes widened. '_He's… He's right,_' Naruto's mind stated. '_The village… The only reason I knew about the Kyuubi in the first place was because of the Organization… And the first person outside of my heart to tell me anything about it was…_'

"_You are the Kyuubi no Kitsune!_"

'_And… What if… What if they are hiding other things from me?_' Naruto considered. '_Things that are… important for me to know? My birth… Why? Why did the Fourth Hokage… Why did he DO this to me? Why did my parents let him do it?_' For every question he asked, the only reply was another question linked to the last. '_Who ARE my parents, anyway? Where are they, and why did they not find someone who would take care of me in their stead? WHY? WHY?_'

"Poor, poor, boy… Hated, mistreated, distrusted…" Orochimaru cooed as he gently stroked Naruto's cheek. "Why is it that you allow yourself to suffer like this, for a village that hates you no less?" Naruto could only stare into Orochimaru's eyes, deaf to the voices coming from his heart, as the snake ninja continued on, his face slowly becoming closer to Naruto's. "If you came with me… then you wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

"Naruto… I must admit something. Sasuke-kun… His lust for power, as well as his Sharingan, makes him the perfect candidate for my next body, my next form… However, Naruto-kun, you… You are perfect in such a way that not even Sasuke-kun can match. Your power, the darkness that flows in your heart… Unlike Sasuke-kun, who had it bestowed upon him over his life… You were born with it, as a child born in darkness. It makes you perfect as my only student, my perfect apprentice."

"Naruto!" The Third lunged, for what was the fifth time, to the boy, only to be knocked back by one of the Kage that stood in his way. "Don't listen to him!"

"And, together, we can take the answers you so clearly need, and more. You shall become my legacy, my sole apprentice, my student…" Orochimaru's lips, Naruto noticed numbly, were getting far too close for Naruto's comfort. However, strangely enough, Naruto found that he didn't, no, that he couldn't care, and that even if he cared, he couldn't resist it anymore. So, instead, he continued to listen as Orochimaru whispered one last thing: "My precious one."

After that, Naruto let his mind shut down peacefully, blissfully, as their lips touched.

* * *

"Take THIS!" Riku growled as he cut down another ninja. "Naruto, don't give up…" He looked to the sky as he noticed a uniquely red hawk fly overhead. Kakashi looked at it too before smirking under the mask.

"Looks like…" The masked ninja started.

"Part Three of our operation has begun: Take out all opposing invaders by any means necessary. Looks like things just got a LOT more interesting…"

* * *

Anko growled as she was backed up to a river.

"Dammit! Of all the times… I almost wish that stupid Author would show his sorry ass around here…"

Almost as though summoned, a beam of energy flew by Anko, encasing the group of ninja about to attack her in ice.

"Bada!" Confused, Anko turned to face a small blue… thing. She sighed as she looked at it.

"Well, Manaphy's here…"

"Mama!"

"That's right… Where IS your Mama? That bastard hasn't shown yet…"

"Mama! Bastard! Phy!"

"He's not coming," came another voice. Anko grinned at the ponytailed blond boy running across the river to Anko's side.

"Well, if it isn't the guy Llednar missed."

"Well… yeah. I have this… well, this allergy. That's it. I'm allergic to sharp, pointy things. Especially ones near my nether regions." He shook his head helplessly. "Not pretty."

Anko, of course, didn't buy it for a second. "Mmhmm… So, why's that stupid author not showing up?"

"This will explain it," the 17th Immortal grinned as he handed Anko a piece of paper. She looked at the words on it:

_Anko,_

_Sorry. Got kidnapped by the Moogle equivalent of the Mafia. Seems they want payment for the vast arsenal of Ultima Weapons , Ribbons, and other high-end synthesized equipment I'm making for my eventual conquering of Earth using their recipes and equipment. I'm currently fighting, but DAMN, are they scary. I may just have to pay their price. Unfortunately, during the fighting, the tool I use to break the Fourth Wall was damaged and will take some time to fix… Well, anyway, I had to ask ol' 17__th__ here to deliver this to you. Anyway, I can't help out. Sorry!_

_Have fun!_

_James_

_P.S. This message will detonate one minute after your chakra activates it._

Anko narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Dammit, so many times he could have not come here, and he chooses NOW?"

17th shrugged. "He's inconvenient like that. Shoulda known better than to skip out on his Synthesis bill, anyway. Oh, and by the way, you've got six seconds left." Anko looked on the other side of the note, where she noticed, for the first time, the seals placed on the back, turning it into some kind of exploding tag…

"Shit!" She balled it up and threw it at the frozen ninja. Four seconds later, they all exploded into tiny pieces. "Well, crisis averted, so…" She noticed that both Manaphy and the 17th Immortal were gone. "Damn, are all authors so inconvenient?"

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain someone was suffering from the horrible, unspeakable torture placed upon him by furry gangsters. However, as he sneezed out of the blue, he couldn't help but smile.

"Operation: Piss Off Anko, success."

"KUPO! Quiet, you!"

* * *

"Well, Remedi-sama… What do we have here?" Llednar grinned at the three Shinobi before them. Two were from Sand, another was from Sound, and another… They weren't sure which country he was from.

The first Sand-nin, a woman in a white dress with chain mail showing underneath, metal gauntlets and boots, and an eye patch bearing the symbol of Suna over her eye, smirked as she eyed Llednar. "I am Alexandra Beatrix of Suna, and these are my teammates for this endeavor…" Beatrix gestured to the other ninja. "Valentine Ivy of Otogakure, the Sound Village…"

The scantily-clad woman with short white hair barely acknowledged her name being called, instead grumbling, "Let's just get on with this, Beatrix-koitsu. We don't have all day for pleasantries…"

Beatrix looked vaguely annoyed, but let it go to continue the introductions. "Heishiro Mitsurugi, a sword-for-hire working for our Kage…" The man with a bare chest, samurai armor covering his left arm, and samurai armor from the waist down grinned.

"No offense, kid, but there's no way a runt like you could beat me…" He chuckled. "Even in the Land of Snow, where technology is starting to replace good old fashioned ninja, I'm still relied on as one of the strongest swordsmen around."

"And Schtauffen Siegfried, a swordsman personally hired by the leader of the Sound Village." The man she pointed to a man standing to the right of Mitsurugi. His green eyes were partially hidden beneath long, smooth blond hair, and his mouth was covered by a large white scarf. He wore a sleeveless red tunic over chain mail-and-leather armor with plate shoulder pads, the wrists of which were covered by heavy leather gauntlets. His red pants were similarly covered by leather boots. A single scar went down from his left eye.

"…" The man gave no notice to the introduction until he locked eyes with Llednar. His eyes widened only slightly, before returning to their normal size. He hesitated before finally speaking: "I… am sorry, boy." He hefted the large sword that was stuck in the ground beside him. "But this can only be the end of you, lest the nightmare returns."

Llednar sighed in response. "Hmm… This looks like a tough choice…"

"Hmm?" Remedi glanced at Llednar.

"They all look like they'd be so much fun to fight… But I do know how long it's been since you had a good fight, instead of the simple spars we've had."

"Hmhm… Then… I will fight the Sound-nin and their henchman, while you go up against the Sand-nin and theirs," She lifted her weapon up, a rather… unnerving smile crossing her face. "That way we can _both_ have some fun." As Llednar smirked back at her, she looked once more at the Sound-nin. '_Besides… These two… They feel… different. I cannot risk the life of the Biskmatar…_'

With that thought through her head, the two groups of ninja charged.

* * *

Naruto could only watch, paralyzed by what felt like thousands of things at once, as the Third Hokage, the one he had come to trust, even though he wasn't so certain now, faced off against Orochimaru, the untrustworthy-yet-trustworthy ninja that threatened the place he had called home for so long…

But… Was it really home? He couldn't shake Orochimaru's words from his mind.

Why was that? Yet another unanswerable question being tossed into his mind, stuck with all the others…

Again, he heard the voices. Who were they? Faint, but familiar. Were they… Real?

"_Naruto…_"

'_What?_' That voice… that voice was new. And so clear…

"_Naruto… Don't forget…_"

'_Funny… the more I listen… The more familiar it sounds…_'

"_Naruto… The choices you made…_"

'_That voice is…_'

"_Naruto, don't forget the choices you've made._"

'_It's… from that time…_'

* * *

"_Once you make your departure from this place… You may never go back to what you were before._" The woman bowed her head.

"… Yeah, but that's a given. Sometimes, I wonder what it could have been like, if I'd made a different choice. Sometimes I wish I could change everything, and be like I was then. No Kyuubi, no hate from the villagers, a mother and father…

"But then I realize: if I did that, maybe I'd never have the friends I have now. Maybe the good things I do have a little of and appreciate, I would have given up for things I have a lot of and don't appreciate… Maybe someone else would have to live like this in my place… And I decide, 'I can't let that happen.' I've gone this far, and I don't want to go back… I've made my choice." Naruto walked to the yellow gauntlet. "I choose… more than anything, to protect the people who are important to me."

The woman smiled, though the true nature of the smile was hidden under the hood. "_That's a hard road, and it will likely end horribly for you. Are you certain?_"

"Didn't you already say that I had made a choice a long while back? I will NEVER go back on my word." With that, the gauntlet vanished. "That's my way of the ninja."

The woman laughed. "_That's good. Now…_" A door appeared behind her"_The path has opened. Don't be afraid…_" She vanished as she finished her sentence."_And don't stop walking._" Following her advice, Naruto stepped through the door…

And found himself at a familiar place. "This… This is… The cherry blossom tree that Hinata and I planted…"

"_Indeed… this place holds much significance to you. It is the place where the Kyuubi was sealed into you. It is the place where you grew, and became strong. It is the place where you met the first one you called 'friend.' It is where destiny will bring you, again and again and again, until the very end._"

As she spoke, Naruto felt a presence behind him. He turned and dodged a creature of darkness. "That's…" He had seen the Organization's memories several times, mostly in his dreams, and these creatures had appeared several times. "A… Heartless." It was a small, but muscular, giving it the look of the predator that it truly was. Naruto charged, summoning his weapon… only to find two gauntlets instead of his claws. Mentally shrugging, he punched the Heartless into the ground. It vanished, only to be replaced by two more. Naruto back-flipped to dodge a quick slash from one, jumping behind the second. He grabbed this one, throwing it at the first, chasing it to punch through both. He grinned as they both vanished. "Heh! Not so tough, are ya?"

"Really, boy?" Naruto's ears perked at the sound. As he turned back to the tree behind him, he quickly realized that the scenery had changed. Now, he stood back on the platform he had been on before. Although he could have sworn that the voice had come from behind him, Naruto saw no living creature. Instead, he saw stairs reaching into the 'sky' of the abyss he was in. He climbed the stairs, hoping to find the source of the voice. Upon reaching the last step, he glanced at the light before him, a light in the darkness.

"_Be warned, Naruto…_" The woman's voice came again. "_The closer you get to light… The greater your shadow becomes… And through that shadow…_ **They** _will find you._"

"Who?" Naruto asked, afraid to turn around and find out for himself.

"_Those that seek the powers inside you for their own gains._"

Naruto turned around, unable to stop himself, and faced 15 people.

Nine stood in black coats with red clouds…

One stood in familiar tan and purple clothing, a snake-like grin on his face…

Four stood in armor, keys in their grasps…

And one stood beyond them all, hidden in the darkness.

"_So do not forget, Naruto… Do not forget the choices you have made… And always remember…_"

The 15 assailants closed in.

"_You are the one whose life will influence the Balance. Now go… Leave the Station of Balance._"

* * *

Hinata dodged yet another swing from Astaroth's axe. '_Dammit! I can't find a weak point… Unless…_' "Sasuke! His chest! Aim for his chest. It looks like that would be his only weak point!" '_After all, that's the only part of him that looks like it was damaged by Naruto-kun…_'

Sasuke nodded and started making handseals. His hand lit up visibly with chakra and the sound of chirping birds.

Hinata sped up again, keeping Astaroth distracted. "This isn't really fun, you know! Don't you have something better!" the purple giant grumbled as he spun halfway around with his axe, then lunged backward, trying to impale Hinata with one of the nails on his back. Hinata ducked and rolled under Astaroth, only to be caught between his legs. However before Astaroth could finish her…

"Chidori!"

Sasuke charged, the Chidori in his hand shining bright. He barely dodged the swing of Astaroth's axe, and slammed the jutsu into the man's chest. The impact caused the man to fall from the branch he was on and drop Hinata, who got away, landing on a lower branch. As Sasuke withdrew his hand from Astaroth's chest, he could only stare.

The cracked chest had shattered, unveiling Astaroth's still-beating heart. The golem laughed before knocking Sasuke into a tree. His head smacked against the wood, and the boy slumped, unconscious, to a branch nearby.

"Hah! Worthless!" He smirked. "Now for you…" He grinned at Hinata, who was still catching her breath…

* * *

Mid jumped above Yoshimitsu, firing a kunai from his gun. Miraculously, Yoshimitsu dodged, spinning in a cross-legged sitting position to move around the scientist and dodge the shot.

"Namunamunamu…"

'_How did he do that? That… That defies every law of physics I know!_'

"NAMU!" Yoshimitsu sprang up, attempting to cut right through Mid. The genius activated his shield, blocking the attack.

'_This guy… he's nuts!_' Mid dodged another swipe of Yoshimitsu's sword.

"Heaven's net is wide…" Yoshimitsu began, attacking Mid with his sword. Mid barely dodged, but was kicked off of the building they were on. "But lets nothing through!"

'_What does that have to do with anything?_' Mid wondered to himself as he got up and readied one of his gadgets, a large hook attached to a chain loaded in a gun. He pointed it at the odd man. "I'm ending this!" he called as he fired it. The hook wrapped around Yoshimitsu's waist, Mid using the chain to pull the man down.

"NAMU!" the Sand-nin cried as he brought his sword down, clutching it and clamping his ankles against it oddly. He landed on the sword, only to start bouncing on it like some kind of odd toy. Mid brought his shield up as Yoshimitsu attempted to bounce on him. The shield knocked Yoshimitsu down, seemingly unconscious, and Mid stood behind him, preparing to finish the fight with his kunai-launcher.

"Now… Just lay still… I'm going to shoot you in the back of the head, so you won't feel a thing…" Mid whispered. However, just before he could, Yoshimitsu sprang to his feet, Mid right behind him.

"Seppuku!" Just as he said that, a sword came from Yoshimitsu's back, stabbing Mid as well. Mid could only stare as he recognized the sword: It was Yoshimitsu's own.

'_With… With the location of that sword… H-He used a fatal blow on himself to stab at me!? I-I never calculated t-that he would…_' Mid's internal dialogue cut off as he coughed up blood. "T-then… Then ag-gain… Heh… You we-weren't… ex-exactly p-predictable…" Mid continued coughing. "You… You k-know… You hit… a vi-t-tal or-g-gan… with th-that… sword of yours… If I don't… G-get help soon… I'm g-going… to die…"

Yoshimitsu laughed for the first time since he stabbed himself. "Maybe… Are you afraid of what's on the other side? What kind of demons await you?"

"…Y-yes. Aren't we all? But… T-that's all. It's man's na-t-ture t-to be afraid of what t-they d-don't k-know… Anything else would be completely illogical and would inevitably lead t-to their d-destruction." Mid coughed up more blood. "And I am very much opposed to what is illogical…" And with that, Mid fell into blissful unconscious…

* * *

"Sarutobi, what now?" asked Enma, Sarutobi's personal summon.

"There's only one thing for it…" the Third Hokage replied. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" After the clones popped into existence, he began another set of hand seals. "Now, Orochimaru, I will show you a jutsu that not even you know! _Shiki Fuujin!_" (_Dead Demon Consuming Seal_)

"Really?" Orochimaru smiled smugly. "I wonder, what could it be?" '_No matter. It won't work…_' He grinned as he began a genjutsu. The Third Hokage looked around vainly as Orochimaru's genjutsu was weaved about him, blinding him in darkness…

"Now, Sarutobi-sensei… It's time we end this."

* * *

"_These ninja… They're strong… Very strong… I'm enjoying this fight!_"

"_Don't let down your guard, Llednar._"

"_This is it! I have to hit him now, or…_"

"_You're right, in a way, Orochimaru… I am, in sense, a child born in darkness. But…_"

_**Next Time on XIII Ninja: The End of the Invasion! Tears, Regrets, and Reunions!**_

"_I won't EVER go back on my friends!_"

* * *

Shadow: (Staring at the note he's gotten from the Moogle Mafia) "They want… HOW MUCH!?"

Link: "One… Hundred… Trillion… Gil… For his safe return."

Shadow: "… Shit. These guys are even greedier than Yojimbo."

Yuna: "Ugh… Don't remind me of him. Do you know how many enemies I had to beat up to get his services in that game? And then I had to pay extra every time he showed up! Ripoff."

Shadow: "Well, since James won't be showing up in time, I guess I'll intro the Omake he had set up for today…"

* * *

Omake: Deleted Scenes!

"Welcome, welcome, to Deleted! A look at stuff that didn't make it! This is the part of our show where we show scenes that were around in the early stages but, well, never made it." The Author adjusted his glasses, taking in the audience from a bright, flashy stage. "Now, take it away, Naruto!" Beside the Author, Naruto rushed into the camera's view, the remnants of sleep-induced drool on his lips.

"H-huh? Oh… Uh…"

"Naruto-kun…" came Hinata's embarrassed sigh from offstage. "Your line… Don't forget your line!"

"Er… Oh!" Naruto spun and moved his hands to form a victory sign. "The first scene we have today is… Oh, a good one. Naruto/Roxas vs. Neji (Finals). Early on, James had gotten a suggestion about Neji going up against Roxas, what with the whole 'Key of Destiny' thing."

"However, James quickly realized that he couldn't do it for a few reasons…"

"Indeed! I had, in this story, wanted to have Hinata fight and WIN against Neji, which couldn't happen if this fight happened. Likewise, I wanted Naruto to face both Gaara and Orochimaru after the third round (Prelims-Konoha Destruction), and when I added Astaroth to the mix… It became impossible."

Naruto shook his head. "But that isn't all. James, looking at a fight between Neji as he is now and Roxas, felt that the fight would be to heavily tipped in Roxas' favor. Overkill, Mary-Sue levels of power, you know… Can't have that."

"However, I can't just leave the thought out to dry! Because of that, I shall now show what it might have looked like HERE! Mwahahahahahahaha… Eh?" The Author looked about, wondering why the scene wasn't showing. Finally, he seemed to find the answer.

The author pointed offstage. "…You! With the silver hair! Stop talking about your mommy and roll the tape!" There was a great crashing noise, and finally, the scene began to change…

* * *

The proctor raised his voice so that everyone could hear. "The first match today is Uzumaki Naruto against Hyuuga Neji!"

Neji could only smirk. Finally… How good it would feel to break this loudmouth! Not only that, but if his cousin somehow pulled a few more wins, he would face her as well! Either way… Today, he will show that weakling what it costs others to protect her!

Meanwhile, Naruto was just as ready for this match. He had had enough of hearing this bastard demean Hinata like he'd been doing ever since Naruto met him, and here was his chance to stop it! Today, he was going teach Neji a thing or two!

"Ready… Begin!"

"Naruto…" Neji began, but was stopped by an outstretched palm from Naruto.

"Don't even start with me. I've been around you long enough to know how you like to fight. First you beat at their morale, and when you've done all you can do, you take them down with no remorse. I'm not buying it." Naruto summoned his claws. "Let me tell you something: I've had enough of your 'I'm better than you' talk! All that's left, as far as I'm concerned, is to either beat it out of you, or rip your tongue out!" He grinned as he lowered himself into a savage fighting stance. "Beat me, and MAYBE I'll respect you enough to listen to whatever you've got to say!"

"… Hmph. I guess I have no choice but to wipe that smile off your face, then." Neji settled into a defensive Juuken stance.

'_So… Neji's letting me make the first move, eh? Well…_'

"I'd be careful, Naruto," Zexion advised. "From the information I obtained on Neji from Lee's data and from the knowledge we've gained from seeing the Hyuuga clan in action, he has a technique that can repel long-range attacks. At the same time, it's not a good idea to attack from close range, with him using Juuken."

'_I know, I know. We've been over it before… Neither close nor long range will work very well against him… And I need my energy for… Him._' Naruto glanced at Astaroth, who was watching, eager to see what his second-round opponent would be capable of. '_I can't afford to waste too much chakra…_' He formed the seal for the Shadow Clone. "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_" Instantly, five shadow clones popped into existence. "Let's see how good you are against multiple opponents!" Six voices taunted as they charged. Neji grinned as he started to spin.

"_Kaiten!_" Neji's protective dome knocked away all of the clones, destroying them.

'_Damn… That isn't enough…_' Before he could get ready to counter, Neji said those dangerous six words:

"You are in range of my Divination Circle." In a flash, Neji was in front of Naruto, landing several blows. "Ni hirate… Shi hirate… Hachi hirate… Juuroku hirate… Sanjuuni hirate… Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou!"

Naruto fell to the ground, only to slowly, painfully, get back up. He grinned, feeling his chakra flowing again after running the Kyuubi's chakra in it quickly. 'Guess training with the Kyuubi's chakra really helps when unplugging my chakra points…'

Neji sneered. "Give it up. Your destiny is to lose, Naruto, so just accept it."

"You…" Naruto growled menacingly, fed up with Neji's monologuing. "What the hell do _you_ know about _my_ destiny?"

"We all are given a destiny from the beginning, Naruto." Neji spread his arms out. "We don't have any choice in it…" He raised his arms to his headband, removing it to reveal a strange green seal. "I, too, am a victim of it. For many generations, the main family of the Hyuuga Clan has been oppressing the branch group. We of the branch family have always been destined to be mere servants, slaves to the needs of the main family. And when the need arises…" He clenched his teeth, fury claiming him. "We are killed for them! I lost my father, your friend Hinata's uncle, was thrown away because of it!" He glared at the girl, conveniently in the waiting wing behind Naruto. "Because Hinata's father, the head of our clan, was going to be killed because he had killed a spy from the Land of Lightning who had tried to abduct his daughter, he sent _his own brother_, my father, to his own death." He put his headband back on, calming down as he did. "Just as he was, we are all trapped in the chains of fate. And just as his fate was to die, it is your fate to lose, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto looked the boy before him, letting what he had learned about Neji, and about Hinata and her father sink in. '_…This kid has issues, big time,_' he concluded. "…You're dead wrong, Neji… And now… I'm going to beat those stupid ideas about fate OUT of your head!" He charged forward, claws bursting with dark energy. However, as they did, Naruto felt something… else come out of the claws. Neji caught Naruto's palms, and the energy came free, blinding the two of them from sight…

* * *

Neji stood again, observing his new surroundings. He was now standing on a glass platform of sorts, the glass colored and shaped into a picture of Naruto and several other people (he even saw himself somewhere near the back of the group, looking away from the front.) He also noticed several chairs around him, and a large concrete structure (possibly a building) before him.

"Where…"

"This is a physical realm representing the inside of a certain someone's heart." Neji spun, jumping away from the voice's owner, a man (for he seemed to be one) wearing a black trench coat with a hood that hid all of his features from view, save for his mouth. His hands and feet were similarly covered by gloves and form-fitting boots. The boy held a large, black, sinister-looking key-like weapon in his hand. Neji, with his Byakugan, could see three disturbing things: One, the boy had appeared out of nowhere. Two, just as the boy had, twelve similar beings had appeared in the chairs, leaving one chair empty. Finally…

His eyes couldn't see through any of their coats, truly hiding their identities from him.

"Who… What are you!?" Neji demanded.

"…I am all that's left, or maybe… I'm all there ever was from the start… If there was anything to begin with, that is." The man laughed, as though at some unheard joke. "What are you, truly? What is anything, in this world?" He lifted his free hand to his face. "Mortals have tried and failed for all eternity to figure those questions out."

"I meant your name!" Neji snapped, annoyed at the man trapped in a monologue before him.

"Oh… I see… My name. That is not important to you. At least… Not yet. All you need to know… Is my title. Let me show you. I am… Number XIII…" As the clack-clad boy spoke, energy began to flow from his body, warning Neji that he was about to attack. Keeping an eye on the rest of the group, Neji pulled a kunai to block the key Number XIII swung.

Neji then went on the offensive, attempting to strike at Number XIII's chakra points. However, with every attack, the man simply dodged and returned an attack. Finally, Neji landed a blow, and the enigma slid back. Neji grinned triumphantly, only to be caught in a vortex of energy that spun out in all directions from the boy, who had spun once.

While Neji was gaining his bearings, the man flew forward, hoping to strike Neji down with the key. However, at the last moment, Neji thrust his palms forward, pounding the man in the gut. As the boy stopped, the sudden backwards motion brought down the hood, revealing the man – no, boy's – face.

The boy's hair, although spiky, was a darker shade of blond than Naruto's hair, and his eyes were also darker, more dangerous than Naruto's. '_What is this guy?_' Neji thought to himself. The boy grinned as he backed away from Neji.

"So… I hear you are trapped in… What do you call it, Chains of Fate? Well… I am quite insulted that you would call them chains…" The boy brought forth a second white key. It was shorter than the first, and where the first exuded dark energy, this one seemed to pulse faintly with light. It was everything that the first key wasn't. "Now… You will see… My power… The power of Number XIII… The Key of…" Number XIII was upon Neji like a flash, and it was all he could do to knock his enigmatic foe over him. The boy landed without a problem, and proceeded to jump and run up the tower. Neji could only stare.

'_He… He isn't using Chakra to climb that thing?_' Neji could only stare as the boy landed on the top of the tower, pointing one of the keys towards the sky, where it started building up power. '_Run…_' Neji told himself, knowing that he had to avoid what the boy was charging up. However, his feet weren't moving. '_Run… RUN!_'

The boy brought the first key to bear, and released the energy in a beam of light. Neji quickly began to spin reflexively. However, the beam wasn't to be stopped. It kept going, pounding right through Neji's Heavenly Spin and blasting Neji to the ground.

"What the…" Neji could only moan, watching the boy raise the Key again. '_No! I have to stop him!_' Gathering chakra, Neji jumped to the building, running up it to attack the boy. Number XIII looked down, letting the key's power fade as he jumped face first to meet Neji. As the two came closer, the boy threw his Keyblade down at Neji, who caught it effortlessly. '_What is he thinking?_' Neji could only wonder as he met the boy, keys clashing, both boys' feet planted firmly on the building.

"Mine," the boy stated, and the key vanished from Neji's hands, returning to the boy, who knocked Neji back to the ground. The boy jumped back up to the top of the building.

'_H-how did he do that?_' Neji wondered numbly as he hit the ground. Looking about, he saw that not one of the hooded men had moved.

"Don't worry about my comrades," the boy assured Neji as he charged energy in one of the keys from the top of the tower. "They are only spectators. This is a fight that I wanted, personally, with you. Not even Naruto knows we're fighting right now."

"Naruto? How is he involved with all of this?"

"Didn't I just say? He isn't," The boy brought the first key to fire, while at the same time bringing the second key up to charge energy. "I wanted to fight you, all on my own."

"B-but why?" Neji asked, only barely rolling to dodge the blast. As he did, he rolled to his feet to dodge another shot that came down from above.

"I need to teach you something…" the boy said, firing another shot as another was being charged. "Something you need to learn about destiny."

"What? What could you have to teach that I don't already know?"

The boy sighed as he continued to charge, charging both keys this time. "Everything. You know nothing of Destiny's nature. First of all, it is not a chain. Destiny – or Fate, if you prefer – is a road. A long one, with many different paths. Several Destinies have similar beginnings, and they all have bumps and cracks that can trip the ones who walk them, if they don't watch out. However, ultimately, where you end up is your choice, no one else's… 'How could you know that?' You ask? Because…" The boy fired both shots, which combined into an unavoidable blast of energy. "I am Number XIII… The Key of Destiny." Just before the final blast stuck, light engulfed Neji…

* * *

…And Naruto punched Neji to the ground, hard. Too tired to move, Neji stared at Naruto.

"Why? Why do you fight… even when all the odds are stacked against you?"

"Because people call me a failure and a loser. I will prove them wrong and break whatever destiny keeps me down. I'll make my own destiny. What about you? Will you let your 'destiny' control who you are? Because if you do… Then I'm not the real loser here." Naruto turned around, glancing at the proctor.

"Winner… Uzumaki Naruto." The announcement was met with mixed reactions. Most, to Naruto's dismay, were groans and boos. However…

"Well… That kid… He's something else, fighting and beating last years Number One Rookie. And the way he acts… Maybe I was wrong about him…"

"Dang… And here I thought that kid was all bad…"

"…And you know, he's not that bad looking, either, when you look at him…"

Naruto smiled at the small number of complements he heard among the boos and cries of hate. Now he knew… Maybe not every look he'll get from now on will be a glare…

* * *

Naruto glared at the Author as the scene returned to normal. "What the hell? Why didn't you give me that fight?"

"Hey, you were here when I said the reasons. You even said some yourself. As for me… I'm done for now. Scram, short stuff." Naruto's cry of outrage was coupled with another.

"Short Stuff? SHORT STUFF?! I'll show YOU short stuff!" The author only barely dodged a strike from none other than Edward Elric, only to be hit by Naruto's Rasengan.

"…You know that doesn't hurt, right?"

"No problem. We'll just vent our anger on you till we're tired of it!" Ed said as he charged. James vanished at the last second.

"Okay, folks, This is the end of our show! See you later!" came a disembodied voice.

* * *

Shadow: "What the recording said."

Link: "Yeah, see ya!"


	25. Tears, Regrets, and Reunions

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Edited and Proofread by The 17th Immortal

Shadow: "Well… I'm broke."

Sora: "…Me too. Well, back to the grassy fields with me."

"And I'm back at last. Smash Brothers Brawl came out last week, as I'm pretty sure you know. I have spent much of my time before it released 'training' on Melee and much of the time afterwards playing it. It was TOTALLY worth the fifty dollars and six and a half hours it cost for me to get it at 12:01AM."

Sonic: "And he chose me as his main! WOO!"

"I don't care how annoying he is sometimes, since my play style fits perfectly into his control scheme."

Shadow: "Well… Let's get this story rolling. People have been waiting for this new chapter for months now."

"Okay… On to the Fic!"

The End of the Invasion! Tears, Regrets, and Reunions!

* * *

'_Am I… dead?_'

…

…

'_No… I'm still alive… But not for long. Unless…_'

…

…

'_Wait… are those voices? Are they… the enemy?_'

…

…

'_Well… There's no point in not asking. If they're the enemy, then it doesn't matter either way. I'll be dead soon enough…_'

"H-Hey! Is… Is someone th-there? I-I need medical attention!" The boy opened his eyes, and lay staring at the woman above him. He had seen her before… At the Exams! She was… Who was she? He noticed the symbol on her forehead protector, and inwardly screamed for joy. She was an ally!

"Fiona! I think we found him!" The girl called, presumably to a girl named… Fiona! The boy again mentally cheered. Fiona was here, too! And they'd been looking for him! That must mean…

"The b-battle… Is it…"

"Don't talk. I'm not really good at this, so I need to concentrate," the girl chastised as she started bandaging him. "Don't worry, we won."

"D-did Lady Remedi and Llednar send you… to find me?"

"Llednar did," Fiona said, finally coming into view. "He was worried about you. He has minor injuries, mostly from Rank 1 Omega, but he's fine."

"What about… Lady Remedi?" 

"Well…"

* * *

Llednar ducked below a swipe from Beatrix's blade, countering with his own weapon. The Sand ninja smiled as she jumped over the blade and Llednar, swiping downwards as she did so only to be blocked by Llednar's gauntlet. The boy was beginning to take on a blue tint, but had no injuries. Llednar had been blocking and dodging every move she and Mitsurugi had made, while at the same time sending his own swift blade strokes.

"Not bad… If I was a lesser ninja, I'd be cut to ribbons by now. However…" She dodged left to avoid a kick from Llednar and slid into an offensive stance. "I am a Jōnin. Nothing is 'lesser' about me."

"Jōnin, eh?" Llednar raised an eyebrow as he dodged one of her slashing attacks while blocking Mitsurugi. "You look… a little young for that, hmmm?" She couldn't have been more than a couple months older than him, by his estimate. To be a Jōnin at that age…

"I got promoted just recently, really! We needed all the manpower we could get, you know, so I had to train really hard to reach this point!" she laughed as she grabbed Llednar's blade, careful not to let it cut her. "I'm actually surprised that you aren't a Jōnin yet, yourself! You have the skills for it!" She tried to pull Llednar to her but was thwarted in this attempt by a Gōkakyū no Jutsu, forcing her to dodge. Llednar breathed another blast of flame at Mitsurugi.

"I'm pretty good, but we in the Leaf Village don't rush our students to become Jōnin … I'll stay a Genin until I feel that I am ready… I still have a while until that happens."

"Sorry, kid, but I don't think you'll have the time for that…" Mitsurugi grinned as he dropped from above, intending to kill the red-clad ninja. Llednar smirked as he dodged.

"You want to die, then? I'll be happy to oblige… You are in range of my wrath. _Fungekimaru! (Circle of Fury)"_ In what seemed like an eternity but was actually a second, a circle with intricate designs appeared beneath Llednar. All at once, a tangible, visible dome of killer intent pulsed from Llednar. Beatrix knew it was killer intent, even though she wasn't within the circle herself, because little bits of the dome left the circle and washed over her.

'_To be able to release such killer intent dense enough to be visible to the naked eye… what the hell is that?_' Beatrix watched in fascination at what happened next.

Mitsurugi was frozen under the sheer weight of the killer intent, and unable to move as Llednar prepared his next move. "And now… My rage… shall rip you to shreds! _Katsuen (Ripcircle)!_ He threw the blade, which bounced about even while staying inside the circle, inflicting damage to anything it hit. It cut Mitsurugi many times before he finally got a hold of himself, and stumbled out of the circle, heavily wounded. As Llednar had promised, the samurai was cut deeply in numerous places.

"Well… That's something else," Beatrix marveled. "If we both get out of this alive, how about you teach me that?"

"Sorry, but it's something only my clan can use. Besides," Llednar smirked as he turned around. "You're going to die now." He hefted his sword. "Power of eradication, gather on the tip of this blade!" As it had in Neji's fight, energy stared to take physical form, flying about Llednar. Beatrix stepped back, not sure of what was happening but knowing she didn't like it a bit. She hurled kunai at Llednar, only for them to be deflected by the energy. "Hoist yourself to the brightest light…" Again, all the light, even sunlight, began to gravitate to the sword. "Then plunge into the deepest darkness!" All at once, the sources of light and darkness were reversed, and all felt their imminent death approach. Beatrix prepared to dodge. "OMEGA!" Llednar launched at the Sand Jōnin, only for her to barely dodge, a small amount of her hair trailing behind and consequently being hit. She felt some of her hair simply vanish into nothingness, and sighed in relief that he hadn't hit any other part of her instead. Of course, she noticed that parts of Llednar's arm were now exuding a blue, bloodlike liquid.

"Okay, I take it back… THAT'S something else," she said, staring at how close she had come to death. Llednar simply stood straight again and continued to fight.

* * *

Hinata dodged yet another large slash from Astaroth, and then substituted herself to avoid being cleaved in two by the follow-up attack. She gasped for air, tired out by the constant fighting. She KNEW where to hit him, but couldn't get an accurate attack in from that close. She slid down to a sitting position, only to feel something in her back pocket…

She remembered the light-emitting tags. Of course! She smiled, thinking herself quite the prankster. Perhaps Naruto-kun was rubbing off on her? She pulled out a tag and attached it to a kunai she found stuck in the tree she was on. She then jumped, activated the tag, threw the kunai, and closed her eyes. She heard screaming and cursing from the monster she was fighting.

'_There! My chance!__'_ Hinata jumped faster than she ever had in her life, making one final stab, hoping she was able to finish it. She stabbed Astaroth in the chest, and as soon as metal met flesh, she launched as many Hanesenbon as fast as she could, and pushed as much chakra as she could into the blade, damaging him as much as she could. Astaroth's laughter turned in screams, and finally into nothing. Hinata stared into the monster's eyes.

Astaroth, Satetsu no Banjin of Suna, was dead. She pulled Yoshitori from him, and let him fall to the ground below. She jumped down herself and, picking up Sasuke on the way, walked back to the village, dazed. Eventually, she came across a river. She smiled remembering it as the river that her team had cleaned up as part of a mission one day. She wearily walked to it and looked down, only to stare at her reflection.

She had seen, but not really registered the blood that had come out of Astaroth, just like she had ignored the blood on her blade. But now, looking at her dust-covered, bloodstained clothing, she looked nothing like the kind genin that had been here before to make it a better place. Instead… She had taken on the form of a soldier. A warrior. A killer.

A Shinobi.

Sasuke suddenly seemed heavier. She turned from the river, unable to keep looking at herself. She walked a while longer, before finally succumbing to exhaustion…

* * *

Naruto stood at last, and made several observations.

One, everything in his mind had become clearer. Certainly, those questions were still there, but.. He knew they could wait. He had his friends to help, and he wasn't going to let any stupid mysteries get in his way. He narrowed his eyes as he noticed Orochimaru beating at the Hokage, who seemed defenseless. As he gazed at the old man, Naruto noticed something. There seemed to be a slight haze of darkness around the man, mixed in with… chakra? Naruto wasn't sure how, but he KNEW that it was chakra mixed in with that darkness. He then realized that the mixture was coming from Orochimaru.

"Naruto? You okay?" Larxene asked.

'_Never better,_' Naruto replied. After all, he knew now, more than almost ever, just what it was that he had to do.

However, there was still the problem of how to do it. He was, for lack of a better word, wiped from his other battles. His chakra was as low as it could get, even with the Kyuubi's chakra… He had to move quickly and decisively. He reached into his pouch and withdrew a single kunai.

"You senile old man! You, the main pillar of this village!? Hah! I guess that pillar must be old, worn, and feeble, with so many termites inside it!" Orochimaru taunted. "Face it, Sarutobi-sensei, you're dead! You, not to mention Konoha, are both about to fall!"

"_Not yet, they're not!"_ A kunai embedded itself in Orochimaru's back, and the Sound ninja stopped in his tracks. He looked behind him to see Naruto, hands engulfed in dark flames. However, now there were yellow ninja armguards which released a strange sort of light that mixed with the darkness. Naruto vanished and reappeared behind Orochimaru. "_Dark Firaga!"_ Naruto launched a single flame from his hand which connected with the shocked Snake Sannin in the back, launching him forward and activating the pouch of explosive tags attached to the kunai lodged there.

"What was that?" Roxas asked incredulously. "That's not going to kill him!"

'_Yeah, but it gives me time…_' Naruto replied, turning to the Hokage as Orochimaru was recovering from the explosions. "He's right, you know, old man… I am a child born in darkness. Quoting Neji, I'd say it was my fate. Born just in time to have a thousand-year old demon sealed inside me… all these dark powers of mine… But it doesn't matter. I made a promise to myself: I'll never turn my back on my friends. So just wait a second… Let me do what only I, as a creature of the dark, can do…" He reached his trembling, tired hand out to the dark energy and, with all his remaining will and power, began to unravel it. "Let me guide you to the light…" As the last of the genjutsu faded away into nothingness, Naruto collapsed once more into unconsciousness..

* * *

Remedi gazed interestedly at the creature before her. The battle had gone about as she had expected, Ivy and Remedi each trying to land a deadly blow on each other. However, Siegfried had stayed behind, only watching, as though afraid to fight. However, when one of Remedi's attacks actually got through to Ivy, something in the swordsman… reacted to the blood that dripped from the sickle. Now, she stood before a large man with brown, grotesque skin, a large monstrous right hand (though it could more accurately be a claw), and two mouths opening from his ripped tunic. The creature laughed as it neared her.

"Your heart… Give me… Your HEART!" he roared as he swung his sword at Remedi, who blocked with her sickle. In a quick movement, she tied the sword up with her chain, and manipulated it just so that she could throw the weapon away from him.

"I am sorry, but my heart is still in use…" she apologized with a sarcastic smirk on her face as the weapon hit the ground several feet away. As her skin slowly turned a light blue, she lifted her weapon. "Now… Power of eradication, gather at the tip of this blade! Hoist yourself to the brightest light, then plunge into the deepest darkness! OMEGA!" Again, far faster than when Llednar performed it, light and dark reversed for but a second, and Remedi was but a blur.

All fighting stopped for but a minute, horrified by the monster's roar of pain.

"AAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The creature recoiled as a large chunk of its forearm and side dissolved into nothingness. Remedi fell to her knees, several large spots where her crystalline skin had been destroyed bleeding greatly. However, a small smile was on her face.

"Hm… it's been a long time since I've had to use Rank 2 Omega…"

"And you'll never use it again!" came Ivy's voice as her sword unexpectedly broke into pieces and flew at Remedi. She dodged several of them, but gasped at a small cut that hit her upper arm. Remedi retaliated by throwing her sickle at Ivy, manipulating the chain with her chakra to give the flying weapon more shots at the whip sword user.

"You'll learn that we of the Twem Clan do not easily fall to such—AGH!" Remedi stopped her attack and fell, clutching her arm and falling out of Omega's Influence.

"Lady Remedi!?quot; Llednar stopped his fight and gazed at his teacher. '_What happened? I have never seen her like this… Nothing's ever caused her to collapse like that…_'

"You shouldn't let down your guard!" Beatrix warned as she lunged at Llednar, who hastily blocked and retaliated. "I don't like being ig—"

"Lady Beatrix!" Beatrix stopped her interjection and looked at the sand ninja who had just arrived. "We've got new orders! Lord Orochimaru and the Sound Ninja are fleeing, so we're retreating as well!" He looked at Mitsurugi. "That means you, as well!" Mitsurugi nodded, and left. Beatrix sighed.

"Well, Llednar, I guess— eh?"

Llednar had abandoned the battle and was charging to strike down Ivy, who was retreating with Siegfried, who had returned to normal, save for a few heavy wounds and a torn clothing.

"Take this! _Katsuha!_" Llednar threw his blade in the same incomplete version of his newest technique that he had used on Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. However, it lacked distance, and couldn't keep up with Ivy and Siegfried, who escaped his sight. "Dammit…" Llednar picked up his sword and ran back to Remedi. Beatrix was there, tending to the older woman.

"Hey…" she said, looking at the red-clad genin. "So… You get Ivy?"

"No," Llednar replied, a slight bitterness in his voice. "Is she alright?"

"I'm not sure… Well, I just wanted to say farewell. If we're lucky, this should be the end of conflicts with Konoha… Well, I must go. My platoon will be waiting for me. They'll think I'm dead before long… So long!" With that, Beatrix left the area. Llednar lifted his teacher up and carried her, best as he could, back into the Twem Compound. Waiting inside was the slightly battered, but not beaten trio of Fiona, Sakura, and a short armored man Llednar recognized as Knocfella, Fiona's personal tutor.

"Llednar! You're late!" Fiona pouted, but then noticed Llednar's baggage. "Is that… Remedi-sama?" Knocfella was quick to gather various members of the Twem-Porom branch. Llednar let them take Remedi from him and tend to his wounds, but glanced at Fiona.

"Fiona… Find Mid. He should be somewhere west of here. Take Sakura or someone from the Twem-Porom branch with you, just in case he needs medical attention. Now."

"Uh… Uh… Okay!" Fiona grabbed Sakura and ran off to search for Llednar's brother. Sakura raised an eyebrow at Fiona's hastiness.

"What's with you, Fiona? You don't usually take orders from anyone. Why obey that Llednar guy?"

"Because, if you haven't noticed, Llednar is the heir to the Twem Clan! Also… Uh…" Fiona blushed lightly.

"Eh? Don't tell me…? Ugh! That's sick!"

"What's sick?"

"Just… Ewwwww!" Sakura shivered as Fiona continued dragging her. Eventually, Fiona got what Sakura was freaking out about.

"…Hey! It's not sick at all! For your information, Sakura, many clans usually marry within their own families." Fiona objected, still running. "Besides, not everyone in the Twem Clan is related by blood. It's made up of many different families, and we tend to add new families all the time." She pouted. "Anyway… Llednar's not my type," she said, although it wasn't quite convincing. She eventually came to a stop near a bunch of beaten up buildings. "Okay, let's begin our search!"

* * *

"…And pretty soon, we heard your voice, Mid, and you know the rest," Fiona finished.

"So… Lady Remedi is injured?"

"I'm… really not sure how bad it is. She looks like she used Rank 2 Omega, but you know she can fight long after using that. The only other wound was a small cut on her upper arm… At least, the only other visible wound I saw…"

"What could have happened to her?" Mid asked, but Sakura hushed him again as she continued bandaging the blond genius up.

* * *

"Ugh…"

"Hey, he's waking up…"

"Give him some room…"

Naruto woke up on a hospital bed, groaning. He felt ridiculously tired. Standing in the room with him were Hinata, Llednar, Riku, Anko, Ibiki, and a medic ninja. Most had various injuries and were dirty. Hinata looked far more than a little shaken and had very bloody clothing on, and Llednar looked odd. But at any rate… they were alive!

"Did… we win?"

"Yeah," Riku said with a detached tone in his voice. Naruto brightened up at once, raising a fist in victory.

"Hah! I thought so! After all, it was that snake freak against me and the old man! He didn't stand a chance, heh!" Naruto punched the air a few times. "So… Where is he?"

Utter silence. After a few seconds, Naruto asked again.

"So? Where's the old man? He won, right? So I'd think he'd be somewhere nearby!"

"Naruto…" Riku started, but Ibiki cut him off.

"The Sandaime is dead."

Naruto instantly froze, and a gagging sound could be heard. After a few minutes, Naruto felt he could trust his voice, and responded.

"You… You're kidding, right? I can't believe… No way! He's… dead? But how?"

Riku looked away. "We're… not sure what happened, exactly. However… it looks like the Hokage had used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Do you know what that is, Naruto?"

"No… Should I?"

"…It's the same seal that placed your prisoner inside you," Riku said after a bit of hesitation. Orochimaru had been seen fleeing the village, in great pain and his arms hanging limply. My guess is, the Hokage had tried to seal Orochimaru away with that jutsu. But something happened, and it caused him to fail, or at least not completely succeed."

"We were hoping that you might know what happened," Ibiki continued.

"Oh… Well… I don't. We were in there, and… something happened… and it kinda kept me out of it for a while. Anyway, when I came to, I saw the Hokage and Orochimaru battling it out, and I noticed that Orochimaru was using some kind of darkness-based jutsu to blind the old man, and I-"

"Wait a moment," Ibiki raised an eyebrow. "Darkness-based jutsu?"

"Naruto, how do you know that Orochimaru was using a darkness-based jutsu?" Riku asked.

"I'm… Not sure, but it felt like one, to me…" Naruto scratched his head.

"Hmm… Naruto, summon your Weapon of the Heart."

"What?"

"Do it. Now." Naruto obliged, and the claws appeared. However, In addition to the bandages that usually covered his hands, there were now faded yellow arm guards. Looking closely, he saw, albeit faintly, the emblem of the Nobodies on the forearm part, while the Konoha symbol was emblazoned on the back of the hand.

"So… Your trial has come and gone… That would explain the heightened sensitivity…" Riku murmured under his breath. He thought for a short while before asking in a loud voice, "You're a Guardian now, right, Naruto?" Naruto jumped a bit before nodding, knowing what Riku was asking. "Interesting… Continue with your story."

The medic ninja shuffled some papers.

"Anyway… I was pretty tired, so I really wasn't able to do much, except distract Orochimaru with some explosive tags and break the old man out of the jutsu. After that, I just… well…" He blushed. "I kinda passed out, I guess. Next thing I know, I'm here."

"…I see. Is that everything?" Ibiki asked.

"Yeah."

"Hmm… I'll file this with the council." Ibiki turned and left.

"So, guys…" Naruto asked. "What happened?"

"I dealt with a bunch of ninja, nothing too exciting," Riku said.

"I had a close call or two, but same as Riku," Anko shrugged.

Hinata looked away, and Llednar made no response, both lost in their own thoughts.

"…I still can't believe it. He's really…"

"Yeah," Riku said. He could see the shock settling in, slowly. Naruto had seen death before, back on the bridge, but… He'd never truly lost anyone close to him like this. Hinata had been close, but now… "The funeral is in two days. Wear something appropriate. Training sessions are canceled, for now. That's all." Riku opened a portal and left.

It was going to be a long two days.

* * *

Strangely enough, those two days passed by like a flash for Konoha. The village itself seemed to move at a breakneck pace to make the village at least somewhat presentable for the ceremony. However, it was at those last few hours before the funeral that time seemed to come to a screeching halt.

Naruto couldn't take it, so instead of using darkness to transform his clothing into the usual attire for mourning, he simply pestered Neji into giving him a spare set, and walked instead of warping. With several hours before the funeral, Naruto walked about town, and found himself at his old apartment. This was the home the Hokage had given him. The home he had been attacked in and therefore removed from.

He still had the keys, and he sensed no one inside, so he entered.

Not much had changed, other than the lack of furniture that was now in his new abode in the Hyuuga Compound. The only thing different than he remembered was the bloodstained wall in his bedroom. Sighing, he left and continued walking.

At length, he found himself at a very familiar place. The cherry tree was still in bloom, but some of the flowers drooped, as if in mourning as well. Naruto frowned, remembering what had been said at the Station of Balance.

"_This place holds much significance to you. It is the place where the Kyuubi was sealed into you. It is the place where you grew, and became strong. It is the place where you met the first one you called 'friend'. It is where destiny will bring you, again and again and again, until the very end._"

He smirked. "Until the very end, huh?" He threw a fist forward, then suddenly realized the time. "…Guess I should get going…" At that, he turned and walked to the funeral site.

* * *

Llednar felt… odd. Remedi was still in bed, not well enough to come to the funeral. No one knew just what was wrong with her. Their best doctors could only blame poison as the issue. The type of poison was… different than anything they had ever seen before. And without that vital knowledge… there was no cure. He shook those dark thoughts from his head.

"No. She is too strong… She will not fall to this. Never."

"Wasn't the Hokage 'too strong', too?" Mid asked grimly, leaning against a pillar. "Even with all my knowledge in various fields of science, even _I_ couldn't figure out what was ailing her, Llednar. The only one who could save her now… would have to be the Legendary Sannin, the Slug Mistress Tsunade, and she's who knows where by now. I hate to say it, but every logical choice we have that can save her is out of our reach. It will take something illogical, a miracle." Mid bowed his head. "…What will you do, Llednar, if worse comes to worse?"

"…You know full well what I would do."

* * *

Riku looked up at the downpour above him. All to the left, and all to the right, there were people, his kinsmen, he could say, weeping for a kind soul that had died so that others could live. He saw, to his left, Naruto speaking with his old teacher, Iruka.

"To die for a cause… That's the most important thing?"

"That's right… When someone dies… Their past, their present, and their future no longer matters. Their dreams are gone… Except in the hearts of the people they leave behind."

"That's right…" Riku said. "A strong, smart person once told me: 'Although my heart may be weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience. And it's found a home with all the friends I've made. I've become a part of their heart, just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then, if they don't forget me, then our hearts will be one.' Even though he's gone now, a small part of him will always be a part of me. Not even death can stop that bond. The Third Hokage, I think, realized that a long time ago. His heart is a part of you too, right Naruto?"

Naruto smiled a small bit, and replied: "Yeah."

Roxas looked to the sky of Naruto's Heart, dressed in a black version of his old street clothing. The Organization had changed out of their coats and into simpler black garb in recognition of the event.

"It is a shame…" Xemnas muttered. "We never got to properly talk with that old man…" He closed his eyes. Regret… In a way, it was the worst part of having a heart. "He was very much like our old master…" Over the past two days, he had been thinking back to that man, who had suffered and even died because of him. What was worse, that man had taken him in when he was just Xehanort, an amnesiac young man. And here, The Third Hokage had always seemed to look out especially for Naruto… The parallel was odd, but he shook it off. Naruto would never betray his friends. He was nothing like Xehanort, who was so easily lured into the evil path that Xemnas regretted so…

* * *

"I'll see ya later, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto smiled as he left to head back to the Hyuuga Compound with Hinata.

"Things will be different now…" Hinata said, still shaken from the events of the battle. It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, but we've got the skill to take it on, easy!" Naruto grinned, giving the thumbs up. "You, me, Llednar, and Riku. Together, we can take anything!"

However, he did not yet know what was about to come…

* * *

"Tch. It looks like we're a little late… Guess we don't need to destroy what's already heavily damaged…"

"…This village is at the end of its golden age… Don't pity it."

"…You miss your old village?"

"No… Not at all."

* * *

"Yep, no preview for next chapter this time. I'm just gonna leave you all with the suspense. Hahahahaha–"

Special Secret: Dark Horizons: XIII Ninja

A lone man stood in the forest, creatures of darkness fading about him.

"_This… Are you sure this information is accurate?"_

He looked up at a sudden sound, and narrowed his eyes.

"_Why? Why are you so weak?"_

A man in a coat held a young boy against a wall. Red eyes pierced red eyes, and the horror began.

"_I'll finally kill you, Orochimaru-sensei…"_

A blond woman in black clashed with a white-haired boy, each trying to destroy the other.

"_You have 5 minutes to live. Say your prayers."_

A sword clashed with another, which broke into several pieces connected by chakra string.

"_It is because… You still lack hate."_

The two boys stood off against each other on each side of a vast river below a waterfall. One was trying to kill his opponent, the other to rescue his friend.

"_Naruto… Why did you…"_

One of the boys fell to his knees from a horrid wound, and they exchanged words.

"_If this is what you want… Then have at it."_

"_I seek the power to achieve my goal, and now, I will gain that power!"_

Finally, the boy still standing prepared to deal his finishing blow…

"_Naruto!"_

* * *

"…Okay, who showed that?"

Everyone: (pointing to Voldemort.)

"…Burn."

Voldemort: (Bursts into flame.)

"Anyway… I guess I'll see you all next chapter."


	26. Find the Legendary Healer!

XIII Ninja

By James The Fox

Edited and Proofread by the 17th Immortal

Naruto Copyright Kishimoto and Shonen Jump

Kingdom Hearts Copyright Disney and Square Enix

Naruto: "Do I have to be part of this episode?"

Iruka: "Yes, you do. This is a _Naruto _Fanfic, after all."

(The author is watching two Pikachus dance to "Caramelldansen" on Youtube, awkwardly mimicking the rodents.)

Iruka: (throws an eraser at James the Fox) "Pay attention, darn it!" (Turns to Naruto) "See, this is what happens to lazy people! They end up wasting their minds on junk like Youtube, DeviantART, and the like until their brain rots!"

Naruto: "Yeah… But isn't Fanfiction just like Youtube and DeviantART?"

Iruka: (Makes a Gai-like pose) "No! We who work so hard on Fanfiction are not wasting our minds! We use our minds to write amazing, thought-provoking stories for others to read! It is OUR responsibility to entertain and educate the masses with our beautiful tales!!"

Naruto: (tears in his eyes) "You're right, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka: "Naruto!

Naruto: "Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka: "Naruto!" (Both hug, and the background becomes that of a beach at sunset. Waves crash behind them)

Naruto: "…"

Iruka: "…"

Both: "…Never again."

(The author is still dancing, "Caramelldansen" is still playing) "On to the Fic!"

* * *

A new day.

Things had mostly returned to normal, though the village was still working hard to fix the damage caused by Oto and Suna.

Speaking of Suna…

"So, the Kazekage had been assassinated before the attack, and Orochimaru took on the disguise of the Kazekage to pit Suna against us?" Kakashi asked, raising his visible eyebrow quizzically.

"Yes," Ibiki said, annoyed at the new development. "…To think, Orochimaru has gained such power that he could face both the Third Hokage, and actually DEFEAT the Fourth Kazekage… Unthinkable…"

"Not really…" Riku muttered. "I've faced people stronger even than that before…"

"I've heard…" Kakashi said. "That Xehanort man you mentioned… and those Chasers you're so worried about… They're Kage-level, or even stronger, right?"

"Wait, so Riku here actually faced people that strong, and lived to tell the tale?" Ibiki stared at Riku.

"Yep," Anko answered for Riku, biting into some dango. "Maybe HE should become Hokage…"

"Nah… I've made mistakes before, and I never faced those guys on my own…" Riku looked away. "I don't have the kind of qualifications to be Hokage." _Besides… __it__ would be too dangerous__.__I'd be too much of a target,__ with the Chasers still out __there…_

"Why not Naruto?" Anko joked, still munching on dango. "After all, he's very interested in the job."

"Hm… That's actually not that bad an idea…" Riku scratched his chin. "…SHIT! I'm late again!" He glared at Kakashi. "You're starting to rub off on me, dammit!" He bolted from his seat, stopping in front of Anko. "You got something… Right there." Riku kissed Anko on the cheek, where some of the dango was on her face. "See ya!" Riku then opened a portal of darkness, leaving a silent room and a lightly blushing Anko.

"…wish he'd just propose one of these days and get it over with…" Kakashi grumbled before pulling out his perverted book. Anko promptly threw a wooden dango skewer at him where it embedded itself in the thick cover, much to Kakashi's horror.

_

* * *

_

A New Mission Begins! Find the Legendary Healer!

* * *

Mid grinned, looking at his finished creation. "Okay… now all that's left is to test it…" He walked out the door, a new invention in hand. He walked onto the courtyard, and saw exactly the person he'd been looking for.

"Llednar!"

The Twem Clan Heir stopped and turned to face his older brother. "Yes?"

"I just finished a new invention, and I need someone to help me test it."

"In other words, you want someone to be your target… Fine. I still have a little bit before I need to head to train with my team." He walked with Mid to the middle of the Courtyard. "So, what exactly are you testing?"

Mid produced a saucer-like object from a summoning scroll, and pulled out a small controller that fit well in his hand.

"A kind of puppet that I manipulate in a different way than the usual kind," he smiled, throwing the disc to the ground several feet from him. Pressing a button on the controls, four legs extended out from the device. At the same time, a thin cable came out from the top of the machine, a stinger protruding from the tip. "As you can see, it's made from about the same material as my backpack. It's equipped with a camera, so it can be used for surveillance, and has a stinger as a means of attack. Coupled with its smaller size, that makes it excellent for surprise attacks."

"Are you sure that stinger is able to do anything? It looks rather small to me…"

"Well, right now it can't, but I can arm it with up to ten different poisons, which in battle can be injected into the opponent quickly. The target would only feel something like a mosquito bite, but once the poison spreads…"

"I see… It's not something to take lightly in battle."

"Yes, if I got the arm to function correctly. If not, well… It won't thrust quickly enough to hit a target, especially a moving target."

"I see, so this is to test if it can keep up with an average ninja…" Llednar narrowed his eyes. "Very well, let's see what your new toy can do!"

* * *

"Focus… Focus… FOCUS!" Water splashed high into the air, swirling clumsily around Hinata, who had dressed down to a one-piece bathing suit to keep her usual clothes dry during her training. Her new technique was well underway, but was far from finished. Riku watched from the trees, smiling.

"That kid is, even at this point, one hell of a kunoichi…" Riku raised his eyebrows at Jiraiya, who was on the branch above Riku, watching with interest. "And quite a looker, too!" Riku shook his head.

_Ugh… And he__re I thought the women he usually spied on were young for him…_ "Aren't you supposed to be training Naruto?"

"I thought he was here with you. He wasn't at our usual spot… I searched all of his usual hangouts, but couldn't find him."

"Not even at the sakura tree?"

Jiraiya bent over and hung from the branch, looking Riku in the eye, "Nope…"

"You sure you looked hard enough?" Riku asked, a bit skeptical of Jiraiya.

"I wouldn't do it any other way, in this situation… I recently got intelligence that the Akatsuki was nearby. Luckily, I was able to get the Council's permission to bring Naruto with me on a mission outside the village. With any luck, the Akatsuki will have moved on by the time we get back."

Riku narrowed his eyes. "What's the mission?"

"To retrieve… the next Hokage."

Riku leaned back, startled. "…I see. Well, in the meantime… I think I'll pay these Akatsuki guys a visit…" Riku cracked his knuckles.

"Alright… But be careful. One of them—"

"—is the _traitor_ of the Uchiha Clan, who can screw with my mind," Riku said with particular venom in the word 'traitor'. "I'll be careful. Don't worry…" He raised his voice, "Hinata! I'm leaving for a bit. I've got some business to take care of. Wait here for Llednar, and if Naruto shows up, tell him that Jiraiya is looking for him!" Riku left before Hinata could reply, and her eye twitched.

"He shows up late, then leaves early? Of all the…"

* * *

Naruto glared at his newest foe, angry at the lack of assistance in his new quest he was receiving.

"You know, Naruto… even Jiraiya would be worried by now. Maybe you should head to the riverbank…" Larxene suggested.

_Let __the pervert__ lie. __Probably__ busy working on his novel…_ Naruto grumbled.

"But we're not getting anywhere with this."

_You__ think__ I __don't__know that?_ Naruto mentally screamed in frustration. _GAH! Why the hell is there no book that refers to the Fourth Hokage by anything other than 'Hokage__',__ 'The Honorable __Yondaime',__ and every other __damn__ title I can think of, but NOT his real name?_ He almost threw the book in anger, but remembered where he was.

"You know… I'm having just as much trouble trying to find records of anyone by the name of 'Uzumaki' even in this library…" Xemnas threw yet another scroll to the side, having no reservations about treating the books well, since they simply warped back to their original places in Naruto's library.

"Hey! I think… I think I just found something!" Axel said, grinning. However, it quickly faded. "Nope. Unless this record is wrong, Uzumaki Taifuugan was a ninja from the Land of Whirlpools, and he died before having kids… Ah, I give up…" Axel slammed his head into the table he was sitting at, resting his head there for what would be a long time.

Lexeaus was looking through books regarding the Kyuubi's sealing, hoping for some kind of clues to the identity of Naruto's parents, something that all fourteen of them, Naruto included, were trying to figure out. But after what felt like millions of scrolls and books and files, the group collectively decided to tackle the problem at another time.

Naruto walked out of the Konoha Public Library, annoyed at his failure. Again, that DAMN snake's words came back to him.

"_And together__, we can take the answers you so clearly need, and more…"_

Naruto shook his head, angry that he would even for a second consider Orochimaru's offer. Why the hell had he been so affected by those words?!

"Naruto!" Naruto fell on his behind when Jiraiya dropped from almost out of nowhere. "I've been looking all over for you!" He peered behind Naruto, doing a double take at the library. "You've been here, of all places? I didn't know you were a reader… But enough about that! We've got a mission!"

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

"Yep, just the two of us, working together!"

Naruto reiterated his question: "HUH!?"

"We're going to find an old friend of mine, and bring her back to Konoha!"

Naruto didn't look very pleased with that prospect.

"And on the way, I'll be teaching you more jutsu!"

Naruto looked VERY pleased with that prospect.

* * *

Riku raised an eyebrow at the two men before him. One had blue skin, and looked like a humanized shark to him, while the other was obviously related to Sasuke.

"So, you're Uchiha Itachi… Let me welcome you home!" he bowed dramatically, like an actor on the stage.

"Hmm… I don't recall you from before," Itachi muttered.

"Yeah, you wouldn't, since I became a citizen of Konoha AFTER you left. Allow me to introduce myself. I go by many names, but you may call me…" He warped behind Itachi, his skin having become even more tanned. His eyes were a smoldering yellow, and his silver hair more smoothed than before. "…Ansem." Itachi found himself lifted by a pair of strong dark arms.

"Itachi!" Kisame, the other member, swung his blade at Riku, who parried with his Keyblade.

Itachi found himself helpless, for he was bound by Riku's Guardian, and he was not able to use his Sharingan to cast genjutsu, for Riku was not looking him in the eye.

Riku clashed, his saber and Keyblade holding off Kisame's sword easily.

"So this is the Akatsuki?" 'Ansem' laughed, sending Kisame back. "What a joke…"

"Really?" Riku found a kunai in his back and he turned around to see a Shadow Clone of Itachi. "Those are big words… Can you back them up?" The clone exploded, knocking the real Itachi free from the Guardian's grasp. Kisame took that opportunity to attempt to rip Riku to shreds with Samehada, but was foiled as the Guardian took the blow for Riku, its hard skin countering the weapon's ripping power.

"I will admit… you have some skill," Riku smiled, looking at Kisame. "You are of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, correct?"

Kisame only grinned wider.

"The last person I used this power on was Momochi Zabuza, one of your old teammates…" Riku warped behind Kisame, the Guardian throwing a punch from the front, distracting Kisame from the real threat behind him. "…And I could have crushed him, if I had wished it." Kisame barely dodged 'Ansem's' slashing attack, only to be hit by an uppercut from the Guardian. "I spared him, but I won't spare you. You who had the gall to enter my home and threaten my friends." Kisame found himself caught in a murky black substance that had appeared beneath him, and was slowly swallowing him.

Suddenly, Riku was blasted forward by an exploding Shadow Clone. Riku was about to turn around, but remembered who it was he was dealing with.

"Those eyes… You're very proud of them, aren't you?" Riku smirked. "Because of them, I can't allow myself to look at you, for fear of falling into a genjutsu…" Riku closed his eyes. "But I don't need to see you with my eyes… when I can_ smell_ your darkness!"

Riku turned around, with his eyes still closed, and threw a large number of spinning discs of energy at Itachi. Itachi dodged, and threw a kunai at Riku. Meanwhile, a second Itachi had pulled Kisame from the pool of darkness. Finally, a disc hit Itachi, only to be revealed in a puff of smoke as a clone. Riku quickly turned his attention to the real Itachi, who was standing next to Kisame.

"…Kisame, we're leaving."

"What!?" Kisame gaped.

"This is inefficient. If this battle gets any worse, then we could have the entire village on us." Itachi deactivated the Mangekyo Sharingan, reverting to the standard form, then turned and left at high speed, Kisame following. Riku narrowed his eyes, returning to normal. Riku toke note of the wound he had taken from the Shadow Clone's explosion.

_I have to…_ Riku opened a portal, walking into it. _I have to __warn__ the others…_

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was walking towards the training grounds when he saw them. Two people, both in black cloaks with red clouds, apparently in a rush to get somewhere. However, that did not matter when Sasuke saw the face of one of the speeding ninja.

"I-Itachi!?" Sasuke stared at the fleeing shinobi, too stunned to move for a great while. After a great deal of thought, he rushed off after his brother, his revenge just over the horizon.

* * *

"Hm?" Itachi was blocked in the forest just outside Konoha, and he stood face to face with Riku, Kakashi, Anko, Asuma, and Kurenai.

"Looks like battle is unavoidable, eh, Itachi?" Kisame said, casually hefting his sword.

"Did you really think that I'd give up that easily?" Riku said, calling upon Ansem's power again.

As the guardian appeared behind Riku, the warrior of darkness Ansem laughed. "If you did, then you really are idiots." Several dark fireballs were launched at Itachi, while Anko wrapped the Sharingan wielder in snakes. Meanwhile, Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi forced Kisame into a defensive stance nearby Itachi.

"Riku, NOW!" Kakashi jumped back as Riku trapped Kisame in a shallow pool of darkness and created fifteen swords of darkness in a dome formation around himself, Itachi, and Kisame.

_Fifteen… Have I __really__ used up that much energy?_ Riku thought as he threw Way to the Dawn into the very top of the dome, pointing straight down at Itachi and Kisame, who couldn't escape. "Now, prepare yourselves!" Riku charged, slashing Kisame with his saber. As Riku vanished, the saber flew forward, embedding itself into the ground. Riku reappeared outside the dome, grabbing a Sword of Darkness as he rushed the duo again, this time hitting Itachi. Again, Riku disappeared, the sword flying forward before dissolving. Riku repeated this cycle six times, striking both Itachi and Kisame with his swords of darkness.

As he made his sixth slash (eighth in total), Riku grabbed Kisame's sword, vanishing with it. When he reappeared, Riku charged with Samehada, the spikes protruding from the hilt passing into small portals of darkness, and ripped into Itachi with the weapon, vanishing afterwards, sending the dangerous weapon to the ground. After this, Riku continued his normal assault, slashing Itachi and Kisame each four times. After the last strike on Itachi, Riku reappeared above the only remaining sword, the Way to the Dawn, and dove downward with the Keyblade in hand.

"Fourth Generation: OMNISLASH!" The shockwave Riku released upon stabbing the ground with his Keyblade sent both Itachi and Kisame to the ground, their robes shredded.

Itachi stood first, several cuts across his body. "Interesting technique… It was lucky I was able to just able to avoid lethal blows, or I wouldn't be here…" He grasped his side, where he was heavily bleeding from Samehada's strike. "I may… I may even have to use… _that_ jutsu… to attain victory."

Kisame stood as well, anger in every feature. "How dare he… How DARE he steal my sword!?" He limped to his weapon, picking it up. "Leave THAT punk to me, Itachi! I'll kill him myself!"

"No… My way is better…" Itachi said, activating the Mangekyo Sharingan and looking the fatigued Riku in the eye. "Tsukuyomi…"

Riku had no time, no chance to avoid the terrible jutsu. Three Days… One Second.

"Where… Where the hell…" Riku looked about, slowly recognizing the beach he stood at. "Destiny… Islands."

"Riku…" Riku's head snapped behind him, staring at the source of the new voice.

"S-Sora?" Indeed, there he was, battle worn and heavily scared.

"Riku… I made it… Somehow, I was able to escape…" He smiled. "It's so good to see you…"

"Sora…" Riku smiled as well. "Same here…

"So, Riku… Where's Tensai?"

Riku's eyes widened. _No… Not now… How… How the hell am I supposed to tell him… to tell him that his own son is dead?_

"Riku?"

Riku shook his head, finding no other way to say it. "Sora… He's… he's dead."

The look on Sora's face was horrible for Riku to look at, but he found that he couldn't look away. "D-dead?"

"…Yes. Sora, I'm sorry… I failed…"

"No… No… No…" Sora continued to deny the truth over and over, visibly breaking more and more with every utterance of the word.

He wasn't the only one.

Riku collapsed, tears streaming down his face.

"How unfortunate…" Riku looked up to find Itachi standing behind Sora. "And here I thought… That you might last a while longer… This is Tsukuyomi, the ultimate Genjutsu. You will be here for three days, suffering in ways you can't even imagine… While outside of the technique, only a second will pass."

"…An… illusion!?"

"Almost," Itachi said. "The pain, the sorrow you're feeling… It's real, every bit as real as it is outside of this place. Also, your suffering… is not over yet." With that, Itachi stabbed Sora in the back, causing the Keybearer to gasp in shock and pain. Itachi pulled the knife out, and stabbed Sora again, and the spiky-haired man fell to the ground, dead.

"No… Sora!" Riku reached out to Sora in desperation, and then pulled back, covering his mouth. "W-what?"

"…" Riku could see the small smirk on Itachi's face. "Don't worry… There's only 71 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds left to go."

Riku stared at the man. _Only a second has passed __already__?_ He mentally repeated, aghast. However, instead of asking, only one word escaped Riku's lips: "Shit."

* * *

Hinata frowned. This jutsu was getting nowhere! At the same time, neither was Llednar. She had seen no sign of him, nor any sign of Naruto. She sighed and resolved to keep on trying, since there was nothing better to do.

"Focus… Focus… Focus…"

* * *

Riku collapsed, clutching his head in pain. "D-dammit…" Riku glared at Itachi's feet, knowing better than to look at Itachi's face.

"Riku!" Anko picked him up, helping him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine… I'm not done yet!" Riku got back into a fighting stance. If anything, Itachi showed some slight respect. After all, not many people could take the Tsukuyomi full on and still be able to stand.

"Yes you are!" Anko growled, holding him back. "Look at yourself! You just collapsed, clutching your head, you needed my help to get back on your feet, and you're almost out of chakra!"

Kakashi charged at Itachi, throwing several kunai at the Uchiha. The Akatsuki member blocked and dodged them all, sidestepping Kakashi's punch right afterwards. Itachi grabbed Kakashi's arm, throwing him to the ground. He stabbed a knife into Kakashi's back twice, and then turned his head to Kisame, who had just knocked Asuma into Kurenai.

"Kisame, we're leaving," Itachi stated.

"Alright, Itachi…" Kisame replied with a growl, obviously annoyed that he hadn't gotten a shot at Riku. The two then fled, disappearing into the trees.

"Should we follow them?" Kurenai asked.

"No," Asuma replied. "We've got two heavily wounded shinobi here that need help now. That would leave one of us against the two of them. Not to mention that not one of us can take them, even as they are now." He turned back to the village. "Let's go…"

"No…" All looked at Riku, who was turning to face the direction the Itachi had left. "I'm… Fine… I can… still fight…" He took a step before falling. He awkwardly got to his feet, and tried to keep going. However, he fell again, this time being tripped by Anko.

"You can't even stand up right, Riku. I can't understand… Why are you so bent on fighting those guys?"

"They're… They're after something in this village…" Riku said, standing again.

* * *

Sasuke watched from a tree nearby, his interest piqued by Riku's words.

"It's… Naruto… They're after him… I can't just let them go… not when I can do something about them… I…" He took another step, but then collapsed unconscious.

"Riku…" Anko picked the fallen Jounin up, and Asuma did the same for Kakashi. "Alright… We'll bring these two back to the hospital…" Sasuke didn't hear those words, having left to find his brother.

_Naruto…_

* * *

"_Man… Where'd you learn that move, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, panting from exhaustion after one of their spars. "I mean, I've never seen someone hide under the ground and try to pull me down. If I hadn't kept an eye out, that might have gotten me…"_

"_I got hit with it by my sensei back in our survival training… And when Sakura found me, she screamed something about a talking disembodied head and fainted instead of getting me out…"_

_Naruto laughed._

"_Hey, what's that for?"_

"_Sorry, sorry… It's just… I can't really see that happening to you, being buried up to your neck and all… It's funny to even think that's possible."_

_Sasuke grumbled. "That teacher… he did it, then took a picture, just to piss me off…"_

"_Whoa, man… That's harsh…"_

"_What about you, Naruto? What's your teacher like?"_

"_He's alright, just… I'm not sure what to think of him. He acts nice, but he's always late…"_

"_Hmph. Maybe mine's related to yours, since mine's late to everything, too…"_

"_Yeah!" Naruto laughed. "Does he cover his face with bandages?"_

"_No, but he wears a mask."_

"_Long silver hair?"_

"_No, spiky."_

"_Aw, man! Addicted to Icha Icha?"_

"…_Yes."_

"_Hehehehe!" Naruto was on his back now, laughing like a madman._

"_Hmph…" Sasuke sighed. That idiot…_

* * *

Sasuke increased his speed. There was no way that Itachi was going to kill his… friend.

* * *

Naruto sneezed several times in succession.

"Man, Naruto, I guess someone is really talking about you…"

"Yeah…" Naruto itched his nose, slightly annoyed. "So, when are you going to teach me that new jutsu?"

"Patience, patience…"

* * *

"_I've got a feeling that something bad is about to happen…"_

"_What sort of bad thing?"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: The Hatred of Brothers! The Moonlit Battle!**_

"_I… don't know…"_

* * *

Shadow: "Damn… I smell weasel."

Link: "Yeah... but I also smell a poll on James' profile... 'What non-XIII Ninja... Shit. Folks, don't pick GoW. Please!"

(The Author is still dancing to Caramelldansen, but has been joined by Itachi, Eggman, Ansem the Wise, Orochimaru, Sephiroth, Ganondorf, and Manaphy.)

Dancers: "U-u-uwa-uwa-ohhhhh!" ("Bada!")

All: (Steps away from the author.)

Shadow: "…That is… disturbing."

Link: "I will never look at Ganondorf the same way again."

Sora: "I have lost all respect for Sephiroth and Ansem."

Sasuke: "Okay, I am NOT taking lessons from_ that_ guy. Now…" (Throws a kunai at Itachi, sending him to the ground, although it can't kill him because of his location. Sasuke drags Itachi offstage, and much screaming is heard. Itachi walks back to the stage.)

Itachi: "That was a cheap shot, foolish little brother…" (Goes back to dancing)

Shadow: "…Okay, I'm ending this chapter. NOW."


	27. The Hatred of Brothers!

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Beta-ed by The 17th Immortal

"…Anyone here following the Japanese Manga of Naruto? Yeah. I am. I will tell you all now. The manga, from about Chapter 346 onward, has diverted too far from what I have planned for XIII Ninja. Therefore, with a handful of exceptions, I will not use Naruto Part 2 as a reference for XIII Ninja Part 2's plot."

Naruto: "Whew… Things kinda sucked for us after that point."

"Don't celebrate just yet. I said there were exceptions. Anyway, enough about that. On to the Fic!"

* * *

"So, Pervy Sage… What kind of Jutsu are you going to teach me, anyways? Last time, you taught me how to walk on water, how to Summon Toads, and how to use that Rasengan-thingy." Naruto counted the techniques on his fingers.

"Not to mention that I helped you use the Kyuubi's Chakra…" Jiraiya added.

"Yeah…" Naruto looked at the horizon. "So, anyway, about those Jutsus…"

"You'll see, you'll see…" Jiraiya waved Naruto off. '_Damn, he's got a one-track mind…_'

_

* * *

_

The Hatred of Brothers! The Moonlit Battle!

* * *

"Whoa…" Naruto looked about the city. It was a quaint place, filled with all sorts of circus-like attractions. Knife-eaters, fire breathers, and many others. There was even a group of Ninja that were performing a play of some sort…

"Naruto, we're staying here for now." Jiraiya ushered the genin into a hotel. Again, there was an odd feeling about the place, almost like an illusion. Naruto shook it off, and accepted the key Jiraiya gave him.

"Why are we staying here, anyways?" He asked.

"I need to gather information about the woman we're searching for." Jiraiya said as he lead Naruto to their room, dropping his stuff on the ground inside. "If we're lucky, we should find some rumors of her whereabouts."

"Wait a sec…" Naruto held his hands in front of him in an 'I don't want any part of this' gesture. "You don't even know where she is? Not even a clue?"

"Don't worry, kiddo. We'll find her… But in the meantime…" Jiraiya grabbed Naruto's wrist and dragged him off…

* * *

When Jiraiya finally stopped dragging Naruto about, the boy found himself in a small hill overlooking the town.

"Wow, I can't believe he didn't stop at a bathhouse," Naruto muttered to himself.

"Indeed," Xemnas added before looking back into the orange book in his hands. "Though…"

"Though what?" Larxene asked, on the verge of rage.

"He needs to complete the next book in this series, and soon. I'm getting bored of rereading this one." Xemnas replied. Everyone stared at Xemnas as Larxene seemed to vibrate with pure fury.

"I-I-I c-c-can't…" Axel stuttered.

"…Believe…" Vexen's eyes were wider than saucer plates.

"…He said that…" Marluxia stepped back.

"…Of all things!" Lexeaus summoned his Tomahawk in a futile, futile effort to protect himself.

"Bets on whether Xemnas subdues Larxene or not?" Luxord queried.

"We've got nothing to bet, Luxord," Roxas reminded him.

"Losers wear nothing except for their underwear for the next week. Not even if Naruto needs them for battle. They'll fight in their underwear." Luxord countered.

"…Wow. You're really desperate to gamble, aren't you?"

"I haven't really gambled on ANYTHING since I ended up here. I'm deprived."

"Fine…" Roxas sighed. "Just to humor you… I'll bet that Larxene wins."

Axel slammed his palms on the table. "I'm in! Xemnas will kick Larxene's sorry ASS! Got it memorized?"

"I don't think so…" Xigbar said, watching Larxene, who was radiating electricity along with killing intent. "Larxene's definitely got her panties in a knot…" Xigbar found himself electrocuted "accidentally" by a "stray" bolt of lightning. "Xemnas… doesn't stand a chance."

Vexen sighed. "I really thought we were all beyond this… but fine. I'll bet on Xemnas."

Lexeaus and Demyx likewise bet on Xemnas, Marluxia wagered on Larxene, and Zexion, Saïx, and Xaldin wisely stayed out of the bet.

"Aright, bets are placed, let's see some violence!" Luxord wrote his fellow teammates' names on two blank cards under "Larxene" and "Xemnas". He thought for a moment, flipped a coin, and wrote his name under "Larxene."

What followed was an epic battle between the leader of a group that ranked among the most worlds-threatening organizations, and one _very_ angry woman.

However, Naruto tried to ignore the rumble going on in his head, and paid close attention to what Jiraiya had to say.

"Now, Naruto, I'm going to teach you how to make your shadow clones…" Jiraiya leaned in closer, his mouth to Naruto's ear.

"To make them…" Naruto repeated.

"EXPLODE!" As Naruto recoiled backwards from the sudden yell in his ear, Jiraiya laughed.

"Explode."

"Yes, explode!" Jiraiya laughed. Naruto gazed at Jiraiya, vaguely annoyed, before forming the ram seal and summoning a shadow clone. He attached an explosive tag to the duplicate, and the clone walked a short distance before activating it.

"Bang. Is that the only thing you were going to teach me on this trip?" 'I could be in the library, finding my parents' identities, but no…'

Jiraiya shook his head. "Very nice, Naruto, but can you do it without wasting a tag you could have used in a trap?"

"…"

"Now, the technique I am going to use is called Bunshin Daibakuha (Great Clone Explosion), and it's designed to make Shadow Clones explode on command. It's a fairly popular technique among those who like to use Shadow Clones in the first place." Jiraiya formed a ram seal and summoned two clones, each on one side of Jiraiya. "Now, what's the difference between these two handsome devils?"

"One explodes and the other doesn't."

"Yes, but which one?" Naruto looked more closely at the two clones, and his senses caught something different about the clone on the right.

"It… Its spiritual energy – its Chakra – is stored differently…" Indeed, while both had the same amount, the clone on the right had more of it concentrated at the center of its chest. All three of the Jiraiyas raised their eyebrows.

'_For him to have noticed that subtle a difference… It looks like he already has a useful technique at his command._' Riku had mentioned to Jiraiya earlier that one of the powers that the darkness granted was the ability to sense a person's spirit, but he hadn't said exactly to what extent. Smirking at his student, he continued his lesson.

"Exactly. Now, why is that?"

"The chakra that isn't stored normally is stockpiled for the explosion, right?"

"See, you're not as stupid as you look!" The Sannin turned around, walking back to town. "Now for your homework. By the time we leave, you're to at least be able to create a clone that explodes…" The exploding Jiraiya Clone jumped atop a tree and jumped again before detonating, causing an explosion about twice as big as the exploding tag variety Naruto had used. "At least as big as that explosion. Get to work." Naruto stared after him.

"What, no other advice?"

There was no response.

Axel however, was gushing. "Naruto, you need to teach me how to make Shadow Clones and then that move."

"What, so you can go kamikaze as often as you like?" Roxas asked sarcastically.

"Hey, Axel? Strip." Axel blinked, and looked at a smirking Luxord. Vexen, Lexeaus, and Demyx were already in various states of undress, all on their way to reducing themselves to their underwear.

Axel looked at the place where Xemnas and Larxene were fighting and saw – much to his dismay – Xemnas laying flat on the ground, still steaming and twitching from Larxene's thunderstorm. Meanwhile, Larxene sat nearby, not much worse for wear, blithely filing her fingernails. She was obviously trying NOT to notice the various men around her in currently less than appropriate attire.

Axel sighed, and reached for the zipper of his cloak.

* * *

"Hinata!" Hinata stopped her training and saw Llednar, who had just arrived alongside Sakura and Fiona. As she dried off, she beckoned them.

"What took you so long?" Hinata asked. "I've been here for hours…"

"That's not important," Llednar replied. "We need to get to the hospital, now."

Hinata paled at his words. "Don't tell me Naruto-kun—"

"No, it's Riku-sensei," Llednar stopped her speculation.

"And Kakashi-sensei!" Fiona added.

Hinata and was off like lightning, pants and jacket already on before Fiona was even finished speaking; reaching the hospital faster than she thought her feet could carry her. After asking for Riku's room number, she continued her marathon, much to the disgruntlement of the various doctors in the area. Riku lay in the hospital bed, wounded but wide awake.

"Riku-sensei!" Hinata burst into the room. Anko was already there, along with almost all of her year's Jōnin-sensei. All of them held exceptionally grim faces, like they had just had an argument. "What happened?"

"We had an incident…" Anko growled as the rest of the genin arrived.

"That's obvious," Llednar replied. "What kind of incident?"

"Two missing-nin arrived in Konoha today. Riku engaged them, and forced them to flee, but after Riku filled us in, we intercepted them. During the battle, Riku and Kakashi were wounded, and the missing-nin escaped," Anko summarized. "That's all."

"What kind of missing ninja could do this?" Sakura asked, looking at her teacher, who was unconscious and nursing a concussion.

Anko looked vaguely hesitant about answering that question. "…Where's Sasuke?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I think…" Riku groaned, attempting to speak for the first time since he had fallen. "I think I sensed him during the battle, and I vaguely remember sensing him leaving Konoha… Following the Akatsuki…"

"What!?" Kurenai gasped. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"I wasn't sure… Wasn't exactly focusing on everything… that didn't have to do with the fight…"

"Well, that tears it!" Anko roared. "Hinata, Llednar, you two come with me to Otafuku Town nearby. That's the direction they were heading in. Our goal is to find Sasuke and bring him back before he does something stupid."

"But, Anko-sensei—" Sakura was about to ask, but the three ninja had left already. "…Why would Sasuke-kun be chasing after the missing-nin?"

* * *

The sun had set about an hour ago, but Sasuke kept moving, his Sharingan activated and hunting desperately for any sign of _that man_ or his companion. As far as he was concerned, Naruto's Jōnin-sensei had already done a number on Itachi, so if he could just find him fast enough… His long-awaited vengeance would finally be at hand.

His eyes scanned the forest ahead of him, and he was about to give up, but then he saw two chakra signatures resting ahead in the trees… Definitely shinobi, judging by the amount of Chakra his eyes picked up. He sped up, determined to kill his brother at any cost.

"_Why did you do this!?"_

"…_To test my power…"_

Sasuke gritted his teeth as the memories returned.

"_If you wish to kill me…"_

Sasuke's speed increased, and he grew nearer and nearer to the—

"_hate me, detest me, and survive in an unsightly way…"_

He winced as he felt the curse mark burn, its markings trying to spread across his skin through Kakashi-sensei's seal.

"_Run, run, and cling to your wretched life… And when you have the same eyes I do, come before me."_

Sasuke squashed down the seal's influence, and landed just outside of a small clearing. Sure enough, Itachi was there, nursing wounds from Riku's jutsu. His companion, Kisame, was also there, ranting about how he was going to kill that silver-haired bastard the next time they met. Sasuke started focusing chakra into his hand. This was it…

"Hello, Sasuke." Sasuke was startled by Itachi's formal greeting, and he realized he'd been spotted.

'_Not that it matters… It's over._' Sasuke grinned. "It's been a long time, Itachi… Actually, this is perfect. Now, I can tell you what I've wanted to say for so long… As you told me, brother… I've lived my life hating you, despising you… And growing only for the purpose of killing you… Now… NOW…" The Chidori burst into being in his hand, a spectacular light in the evening darkness. "DIE!" Sasuke charged, thrusting his technique forward to strike down his sibling.

* * *

Naruto gasped at the sound, pausing his training. "Was that… Sasuke?" Naruto gazed into the distance. "It came from the forest…" Thinking only for a moment, Naruto rushed in the direction of the voice.

* * *

Itachi jumped away, barely avoiding the jutsu. He stumbled a bit, favoring his already-shredded legs. "What's the matter, brother? You look like you've been through the meat grinder!" Sasuke charged again, Chidori still blazing. Itachi jumped back again, this time throwing shuriken in retaliation. Sasuke drew his own kunai and blocked the kunai, but winced in pain from a kunai from above. He withdrew the kunai and threw it at Itachi, who was just landing from jumping over Sasuke.

"Foolish little brother…" Itachi mourned, standing with a kunai in his chest. Itachi burst into several crows, flying around Sasuke. "You… For all the hate you wield… You still lack the eyes." Itachi rose from the ground behind Sasuke as he spoke. He shook his head. "And you know something? You never will." He grabbed the back of Sasuke's head, throwing the genin face-first into the dirt, grabbing the trailing end of his scarf as he did. Just as Sasuke hit the earth, Itachi pulled him back up, just to knee him in the back of the head. "You are of no interest to me anymore… Come, Kisame…" Itachi turned away, walking away.

"That was ruthless of you, Itachi… You could have let me have some fun…" Kisame smirked as he followed.

"Wait… Dammit!" Sasuke tried to stand, but collapsed again. "No…" He laid there for several minutes, contemplating what had just happened. '_What have I been doing all this time… After all the battles I've fought… Am I still that weak?_'

"_You still lack the eyes."_

"Sasuke!?" Sasuke twitched his head to the right and saw, of all people, Naruto standing there with a worried expression on his face. "Are you alright?" Naruto helped Sasuke to his feet. "Man, what happened to you?" Sasuke did not reply, his eyes half lidded.

"This is definitely weird," Roxas pondered. "What's Sasuke doing here?"

Axel shrugged. "Not sure…"

Naruto reached out with his senses, and he noticed two entities filled with darkness leaving the area. "Sasuke, were you in a fight with those two?" He asked, half to himself. He narrowed his eyes, and opened a portal of darkness. He carried Sasuke through, and deposited him on his bed in the hotel. "…Well, guess I'll have to cut my training short today…" He pulled down his eyelid and blew a raspberry at Sasuke jokingly. "Thanks a lot."

"…Na…ru…to…"

"Huh!?" Naruto stared at Sasuke, who gazed back groggily. "Oh, you're awake! You alright?"

"…Did you… see two guys?"

"You mean, in the forest I found you? No, but I sensed two presences walking away from where I found you."

"…Dammit…"

"Who were those two, anyway?"

"…Not sure about one of them… but the other is my brother, Uchiha Itachi." He stood up, wavering slightly as he did. "Naruto, do you think you could find them again, if you tried? I must… I have… I have to kill him."

"If they didn't get too far from here, then sure, I could find them. But… You're hurt pretty bad. I'm not sure if you should fight them again so soon." Naruto said, heating up two cups of instant ramen.

"You don't get it! It doesn't matter what happens to me afterwards! This chance for vengeance… It's all I've lived for up to now! I…"

"…All you've lived for?" Naruto shook his head. "Then… what will you live for after that?"

"Like I said, it doesn't matter. I must kill my brother." Sasuke walked to the door. "As an Avenger… That is my purpose."

"Your purpose…" Naruto watched Sasuke open the door. "Then I envy you."

"What?"

"Recently, I've been searching for something I didn't even know I was missing. When it dawned on me that I didn't have it, I found out that without it, I wasn't even sure what my true purpose was. I started asking myself questions I couldn't answer. Questions like, 'What am I supposed to do with the gifts I've been given?' 'Why was I born?' 'Is anything I've done worth anything in the long run?' I don't regret any of my life, but… I've been searching for that reason." Naruto took his bowl of ramen out of the microwave. "On the other hand, you seem to have already found yours…"

"…" There was a silence, during which Naruto scribbled down a quick note. He left it next to the microwave as he handed Sasuke one of the two cups of instant ramen.

"…If that is your purpose, then I have no choice but to help you out." Naruto gave a thumbs-up, his trademark smile on his face.

Sasuke nodded, and together, the two genin walked through the Portal of Darkness.

* * *

"Anko-sensei… You still haven't answered my question," Hinata reminded her teacher's girlfriend. "What is the Akatsuki, and why would they be in Konoha?"

"…I'm not sure what they are, but if Riku's right, then we know what they want."

"And that is…?" Llednar asked, his hand on the hilt of his sword, just in case.

"…Naruto."

Both Hinata and Llednar almost tripped and fell at that proclamation.

"Naruto!?" Hinata repeated.

"I know he's strong, but why would they be after him, of all people? He has no bloodline powers, no clan-exclusive techniques, and the only Jutsu I've seen him make is that Oiroke…" Llednar asked, though he already had an idea… '_No, that couldn't be… Preposterous._'

"I think, more specifically, that they want the Kyuubi inside him."

Llednar narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on his blade. "That was what I was afraid of…"

"Luckily, Naruto is safe with Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin," Anko said, hoping to relieve them.

"Why wasn't he with Riku-sensei instead? Together, there's no way those Akatsuki guys could beat us," Llednar smirked. "We have had some experience with Missing Ninja, after all."

"…You all have to understand. These ninja are far more powerful than you're giving them credit for. Yes, you've fought Missing Ninja before, but these guys are on a whole other level. They're all about as strong as Orochimaru, who was just playing with the three of you in the Forest of Death." She sighed. The conversation she'd had with Riku before Hinata's team had arrived had not been a good one. "Speaking of which, Orochimaru is after Naruto, if you haven't forgotten. The only person in the village strong enough to face all of them, by Riku's estimates, would be Jiraiya. As such, until these guys are dealt with, we may have no choice but to have Naruto stay with Jiraiya at all times, even if that means that Naruto has to stay out of Konoha until that time comes…"

Hinata's heart stopped for just a split second. "You mean…"

Anko seemed resigned as she revealed the outcome of her talk with Riku. "Riku decided it might be better if Naruto left with Jiraiya on a long-term training trip. As soon as Jiraiya and Naruto return from the mission they've already been assigned, they'll be informed of Riku's plan, they'll finish up any unfinished business in the area, and then they'll leave."

"NO!" Hinata's outburst was far louder than she had intended, but it sent the point across. "He can't go!"

"What makes you think you have any say in the matter?" Anko asked. "Even I tried to change Riku's mind, but it's already made up. There's nothing we can do…"

"Only a person high up in the chain of command – like the council or the Hokage – would be able to allow or disallow something like that," Llednar said, interjecting into the conversation. "And since the only council members I know would rather have Naruto stay in the village are Hiashi-sama and Remedi-sama, a clear minority, our hope for him not leaving lies on the shoulders of our next Hokage…"

The forest was silent.

* * *

"I sense them, dattebayo!" Naruto suddenly stated to Sasuke. "Just ahead… I can smell their darkness… It's exactly identical to the two guys I sensed earlier…" Naruto suddenly looked back. "Hinata?"

"Huh?" Sasuke asked, looking at Naruto with a raised eyebrow.

"…Yeah, that's Hinata I smell… And Llednar and Anko, too… But they're just jumping around, almost like they're looking for something… What are they…?"

"They may be after my brother as well…" Sasuke said.

"Guess we should make a big commotion when we arrive at our destination. That'll alert them!" Naruto grinned.

"Hn."

"Okay, almost there…" Naruto landed on a branch, gazing at the two people. "Those your guys?" He whispered.

"…Yeah," Sasuke replied.

"Alright, let's kick some ass." '_So… What the!?_' Naruto mentally checked on the Organization for the first time since they had started arguing, and was staring at the current scene.

Xemnas lay on the ground, beaten to a pulp, and on different sides of the platform, Naruto could see the assorted members of the Organization, except that many of them were stripped down to their underwear.

'_Uh… Some kind of holiday, guys?_'

"No," Vexen growled. "We lost a bet."

"You need something?" Larxene asked, pointedly looking away from the losers of The Bet™.

'_Uhm… Well, I'm about to face a few guys that look really strong. I might need some help._'

"Sorry kid… I'm serving my time," Axel growled.

"The moon…" Saïx said. "It's quite nice tonight, quite full… Perfect for me." Saïx smirked. "I'll help."

'_Okay!_' Naruto replied, glowing as he followed Sasuke's lead, jumping in an ambush attack. A sphere appeared around him, flashed, and shattered, revealing Naruto's new transformation.

His hair had lengthened and become neater in the back, with large locks of hair coming down the sides of his head onto his chest, and had also gained a few blue strands to contrast his blond hair. His eyes had become yellow, and an X-shaped scar appeared, intersecting on the bridge of his nose.

"Sasuke?" Itachi asked, showing only a little surprise. "…And what do we have here? You look far different from what I thought you would, Naruto."

"…Can you feel it?"

"Hm?" Sasuke, Itachi, and Kisame glanced quizzically at Naruto.

"…The moon… It feeds me, and grants me strength…" Naruto summoned Saïx's Claymore, and swung it, pushing Kisame back and downright knocking Itachi over. "It shall be the witness of your deaths."

* * *

"_What is this power? It doesn't feel demonic…"_

"_Yes, but it's dangerous all the same…"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Dancing in the Moon! The Luna Diviner's Power!**_

"_MOON… SHINE DOWN!"_

* * *

"This chapter… So hard… Had to… Depict… the importance… of this scene… to the overall plot…" (Brain Shuts Down. Manaphy walks over to brain-dead body. Manaphy steals James' DS and begins playing FFTA2.)

Manaphy: "F&-ING Judge! Bada!"

Shadow: "Well, that was nice."

Luxord: "…Anyone want to make a bet on what happens next?"

All: "NO!"

Luxord: "Dammit."

Shadow: "So, to replace James, see ya late—"

Judge: "VIOLATION! No ending the chapter! KO'ed clanmates go to Jail! No Judge Benefits! No Extra Items!"

Shadow: "…We're not in a battle. Anyway… Later."


	28. Dancing in the Moon!

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Beta-ed by The 17th Immortal

"I've not much to say right now, except for that I have finally caught on to the series, Heroes, thanks to the preview of the next season shown at comic-con. Awesome. Besides that, I'm using my Camera Phone to take pictures of my own comic series, Core Essence, and send them to DeviantART. Granted, they're low quality, so bear with me till I can get a scanner. Besides that, I've been hindered by my ever-present mortal enemies, Writer's Block and Real Life."

Shadow: (Reading Core Essence) "I have to admit, what you've got on paper isn't half-bad, except that the main character seems a lot like Hiro of Heroes in personality. Everyone's gonna think you're a copycat."

"…I thought so too. Ah, well. Anyway, I thought I'd open this chapter with a few Omakes first. Be warned, these are spoilers. Here goes!"

* * *

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

_

* * *

___

OMAKE: Itachi loves DBZ!

* * *

"…Can you feel it?"

"Hm?" Sasuke, Itachi, and Kisame glanced quizzically at Naruto.

"…The moon… It feeds me, and grants me strength…" Naruto summoned Saïx's Claymore, and swung it, pushing Kisame back and downright knocking Itachi over. "It shall be witness to your deaths!" Naruto roared, unleashing wave after wave of energy. Kisame stared, looking at his companion, who was just standing up.

"Hey, Itachi, what does the Sharingan say about his Chakra Level?" Itachi looked at Naruto, activating his Sharingan. As he did, something snapped, and Itachi smirked.

Then grinned.

Then laughed.

With a face that would someday be infamous for being so out of character for him, Itachi roared: "IT'S OVER NINE THOUUUUUSAAAAAND!" Kisame stared, then grinned before replying.

"What?! Nine Thousand!? …There's no way that can be right! Could it?!"

Naruto grinned, knowing what was expected of him. "I think it's right." The three looked at each other, grinning.

"IT'S OVER NINE THOUUUUSAAAAND! OVER NINE THOUUUUSAAAAND!"

"Itachi!"

"OVER NINE THOUUUUSAAAAND!"

Sasuke face-palmed as his hated brother, his closest friend, and a freaky fish-dude acted out the entire meme…

_

* * *

___

OMAKE: Please tell me I'm not the first to have thought of this…

* * *

His brother finally at last dead, Sasuke gazed over a cliff by the ocean as he addressed his teammates.

"We have left Snake behind… From now on we shall be known as Falcon—"

"PAWNCH!" At once, Sasuke was sent flying over the cliff, falling until he exploded in a blast of pink light.

"Player 5, Defeated!" came a voice from nowhere. Standing where Sasuke had been, James The Fox now stood, feeling very pleased with himself.

"Man, that felt good."

"Hope it was worth _Sennen Goroshi!"_ asked Tobi angrily as he unleashed said One Thousand Years of Death.

"IT WAAAAAAAASSSSSSS!"

"Player 0 Defeated!"

* * *

SPOILER END SPOILER END SPOILER END

* * *

"There. Now On to the Fic!"

* * *

"…Can you feel it?"

"Hm?" Sasuke, Itachi, and Kisame glanced quizzically at Naruto.

"…The moon… It feeds me, grants me strength…" Naruto summoned Saïx's Claymore, and swung it, pushing Kisame back and downright knocking over Itachi. "It shall be witness to your deaths!"

_

* * *

_

Dancing in the Moon! The Luna Diviner's Power!

* * *

"Hm?" Hinata noticed, barely in her range of vision, a flash of bright light. This particular flash was something she had seen only a handful of times: whenever she'd seen Naruto perform one of those transformations. "Anko-sensei… I think I've found them!"

"Lead us there!" Anko ordered, and the trio changed direction.

* * *

"Big words, kid…" Kisame hefted his sword as Itachi stood up. ''Course, _that said, the two of us've already taken a beating… We aren't ready to fight a Jinchūriki, especially one with that much power._'

"Naruto… Remember, Itachi's mine," Sasuke growled.

"Very well, but I shall not simply stand by and watch, should you enter a tough situation…" Naruto replied, his eyes beginning to cloud over and become cat-like. The scar on his face transformed to a more jagged state, and his hair took on an even more wild, unruly shape. He roared. "Now, moon, shine down!"

"This power…" Itachi growled. '_Is this the Kyuubi's… No. It's something else… However, for this boy to harness this much strength without calling on the demon… We shall have to retreat for now…_' He looked at Kisame, who he could tell was thinking along the same lines. "I already told you, Sasuke… You are of no interest to me."

"You…!" Enraged by the curt dismissal, a Chidori erupted in Sasuke's hand . "DIE!" He rushed, thrusting his jutsu at Itachi. Again, Itachi dodged, albeit barely, and Sasuke threw several kunai at him with his other hand, in an effort to finish what Riku and the other jōnin had started. Itachi pulled a sword from under his cloak, blocking the knives and countering with his own attack.

Sasuke barely blocked the sword with his Kunai, and jumped away, throwing his kunai and forming seals as he did_. _"_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique!)_" Itachi jumped away, avoiding the blast. '_Dammit… he's simply evading everything I'm throwing at him!_' Sasuke's mind raced to form a new plan. '_He has to be tiring himself out. He's already gone through at least one fight, and injured, to boot. Naruto's sensei made sure of that. How much energy does he have left…?!_'

Naruto clashed with Kisame, and his Claymore knocked the Akatsuki member back. Kisame glared as the boy followed him.

"HRAH!" Naruto swung his Claymore, knocking the man up. "RAGH!" Naruto jumped after him, smacking the missing-nin even higher into the air. "BEGONE!" Naruto threw the Claymore this time, and Kisame felt one of his ribs break with the impact.

"Agh!" Kisame growled as he landed, luckily on his feet. However, his luck ended there, as he noticed the incoming new arrivals. Naruto, too, seemed to notice Hinata, Llednar, and Anko arrive on the scene. "Hey, Itachi!"

"Yes?" the eldest of the two Uchiha queried as he knocked his sibling to the ground, however Sasuke used this position to begin the_ Takedakeshi Shishi Rendan_, kicking Itachi into the air.

"We've got company…" Kisame growled as he motioned to the new enemies while simultaneously blocking Naruto's next attack. He was pushed back.

"…A moment," Itachi replied, grabbing Sasuke's right wrist before he could continue the assault and snapping it with all the apparent effort of snapping a twig.

"Hurry it up!" Kisame roared angrily as Hinata thrust several times with Yoshitori, the weapon of the heart causing damage to Kisame's chakra coils before being knocked away. Kisame grunted, holding his side. '_Damnit… My Tenketsu… That little bitch will pay!_' He charged, swinging his blade for Hinata, but was blocked by the fourth sword-wielder to enter the fray, Llednar.

"Give up. As you are now, you could not defeat me while I was using even 40 percent of my full power." Llednar pushed hard, pushing Kisame away from Hinata.

"Why, you arrogant little bas—"

"AAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

Everyone paused for a moment at Sasuke's scream as Itachi sent him spiraling to the ground and landed hard on Sasuke's right leg, the femur breaking under the impact. "There. Now, let's retreat, while we still can…"

"Wait!" Sasuke growled as Itachi turned away.

"How many times must I tell you…" Itachi stopped, glancing at Sasuke. "You are worthless. Not even worth killing. Only in the slim chance that you ever gain the same eyes as me will I ever find reason to believe otherwise. Your hatred is worthless without this…"

"Arghh…" Sasuke reached out for his brother, grasping thin air before losing consciousness.

"Stop right there!" Naruto called as they fled, transforming back to his normal form. Naruto prepared to give chase, but was grabbed by Llednar.

"That is not advisable," he suggested, shaking his head.

"But—"

"But nothing!" Anko growled, carefully surveying Sasuke's arm and leg. "We have a heavily wounded shinobi, and getting him back to the village is our first order of business." She then looked at Naruto. "What were you doing here, anyway? Weren't you supposed to be with Jiraiya?"

"Well, I was training, and I heard a fight going on…"

"So you just rushed in!?" Anko cried, exasperated.

"What'd you expect me to do?" Naruto replied. "No way I'd sit back if someone needed help!"

"Sometimes, Naruto, that is precisely what needs to be done!"

"She is correct, Naruto," Llednar agreed. He glanced at the now-unconscious Sasuke. "Those men are part of a group sent here to capture you… for the sake of the being sealed inside you."

Naruto looked a Llednar in an odd way. "Why'd they want that?"

"I do not know, but I know that they want it, badly. They defeated Riku-sensei when he tried to stop them…"

"SAY WHAT!?" Naruto yelled, shocked.

"Now, now, no need to yell!" Suddenly, Jiraiya landed in the clearing. "Seriously, Naruto, what were you thinking? I've been looking all over for you! Where the hell have you been?"

Anko glared at Jiraiya. "Oh? And where the hell have YOU been?"

"I just told you, searching for Naruto!"

"Please, this isn't the time to fight…" Hinata pleaded as the two elder ninja quarreled.

"And before that?" Anko pressed.

"I trusted that Naruto would take care of himself, and simply train until I got back from my information gathering!" Jiraiya replied.

"Please…" Hinata asked again.

"Hey, I was just checking to see what was going on!" Naruto defended himself. "And you should be here helping me train! What kind of sensei are you?"

"I have more important things to do, brat! If you don't remember, we're on a mission! And in order to complete it, I need information!"

"No doubt you were searching for information conveniently at a bar or one of those creepy clubs! You perv—"

"WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE STOP IT!" Naruto stopped dead in his tracks as Hinata's yell echoed through the forest. In actuality, the yell seemed more like a roar than it did anything else. Hinata huffed a few times, blushing. "S-Sorry… It's just…"

"You do not need to apologize," Llednar interrupted. "While… unorthodox, you were able to stop this meaningless quarrel."

* * *

"Daaaammmn…" Xigbar whistled, wide-eyed at the sight.

"You go girl!" Larxene cheered, pumping a fist into the air.

Demyx openly gaped. "I…I can't believe…"

"Didn't think she had it in her to loose her cool like that," Axel grinned.

"What, you doubted my girl Hinata?" Larxene asked, although it had a threatening undertone with it.

"Umm…" Axel looked around for support. Roxas looked back.

"No. I'm not helping you out of the hole you dug yourself into." As Axel proceeded to flee from Larxene's destructive retaliation (something made all the more humorous by Axel's lack of clothing), the former Number XIII looked at Saïx. "Surely he's realized how stupid it is to put himself on the opposite side of Larxene?"

Saïx shook his head. "I do not think he has. In fact, for Axel, I do not believe common sense to be very common, in the first place."

It took Roxas a moment to decipher Saïx's wording, his dig at Axel's character, before responding. "Yeah…"

* * *

While the Organization had talked amongst themselves, Anko had managed to splint Sasuke's arm and leg. Llednar, after a short while, spoke.

"Jiraiya-sama. You and Naruto are on a mission, correct?"

The Toad Sannin turned his head to Llednar, an eyebrow raised even as he nodded. "What of it?" He could already see that the Twem was choosing his next words very carefully.

"…Should you encounter your former teammate, Tsunade-himesama, could you possibly persuade her to come to the village? Remedi-sama needs her expertise, and soon."

Jiraiya couldn't really help but smirk at that. "Heh, lucky her, then, because ironically enough, our mission is to bring her back, anyway." It was minute, but Naruto could just barely see his comrade's stance relax ever so slightly, as though a tremendous weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"Don't you worry, Llednar! We won't let you down! I promise!"

"…I have no doubts of your success, Naruto." Llednar stated. "After all, you seem to have a… knack… for following through on your oaths…"

Anko stood up. "Alright, I'm done. You guys continue on your mission. We'll handle Sasuke." She picked the unconscious Uchiha up, draping him over her left shoulder. "Come on, you two!" Anko leaped away, Llednar close behind. Hinata frowned, looking at Naruto as though she had something to say, and with no small amount of hesitation, followed Anko and Llednar. Naruto looked at Jiraiya, who had gained a serious look.

"Back to our mission. While collecting information, I found a rumor about Tsunade-sama's location. We'll head back to town for now, and continue our trek tomorrow." Naruto nodded, and opened a portal of darkness, which both student and teacher took to return to their room.

* * *

Two weeks later, Naruto and Jiraiya found themselves in a town near the border in their search, having exhausted every other lead. Naruto had finally gotten the hang of making Kage Bunshin explode, and was even now getting a feel for how much chakra was needed for different-sized explosions.

However, today, he was taking a break. It turned out that the performers they had seen in the previous town had come here as well, doing so as part of their tour of the Land of Fire. After much thought as to what attraction he would see first, Naruto finally resolved to watch the performer-Ninja. However, apparently due to one of the performers breaking a leg, the show couldn't go on…

"Huh?" The bulky leader of the troupe asked, dumbfounded.

"I said, how about I take their place? I'm a ninja, too, you know!" Naruto pointed towards his headband.

* * *

"Oh, for the love of…" Xigbar sighed. "Looks like one of those times."

"What times?" Roxas asked.

"You know, one of those things that, although possibly being dangerous, amusing, and/or exciting, we'll never talk about again."

"Eh?" Demyx was just as dumbfounded.

"You know… the fille—" Xemnas promptly shot Xigbar with a bolt of energy.

"Never utter those words, or _he_ shall appear."

"Dude… _He_ doesn't even have _his_ device anymore, remember? There's no way _he_ could break the Fourth Wall!"

* * *

"Oi, what's this about the performance being cancelled?" asked the (self-established) leader of a small group.

* * *

Xemnas looked at the man, and promptly shot Xigbar again. "I told you, never utter words relating to _him_! Now see what you did!"

"Just a coincidence, that's all…" Xigbar muttered, tendrils of smoke rising from his prone body.

* * *

"Hey, haven't I seen you before?" Naruto asked. "…Yeah, you're that freaky reporter guy from the Chūnin Exams!" The "reporter" fell flat on his face, and the odd small blue creature next to him laughed. He stood up, and glared with a very creepy level of hatred.

"F-freaky? You should thank me!"

"For what?"

"I… you know what? Never mind. If this performance isn't going on, I guess I've got no reason to be here," the teen huffed, stomping off in anger, the blue creature in tow. The other two shook their heads, and the other man in the group sighed.

"Sorry about that. These two can be tough to handle."

"No problem," Naruto grinned, then turned back to the troupe leader. "So, how about it?"

"…Alright. We can't afford to have come all this way for nothing." He gave Naruto a script. "I hope you can follow it, at least loosely…"

The ponytailed blond man turned towards where his companion had walked off. "Hey, you hear that, James? The show is on! James!? Aghh…" The man left, and the last member of the group looked oddly at Naruto.

"…SASUNARU FOR—" She was promptly frozen by a beam of ice. James and his companions walked back, followed by the blue blobby creature.

"Sorry about that. We'll keep her quiet," the unnamed man said.

"NARUHI—" James, too, was encased in ice by the blue creature.

"…This never happened," the man sighed as the blue blob lifted both icicles and waddled away. The man followed, and Naruto blinked at the sight of a portal, the same as what he himself used, sprang up in front of the motley group, only to disappear again after they went in.

* * *

"Like I said: we shall never speak of this again," Xigbar shrugged.

* * *

Naruto, wearing an comfy, loose shirt, and leggings with bandages from the knee down, in addition to his standard ninja gear, grinned as his companion warned him of the dangerous group approaching. "By my heel, I care not."

"Gentlemen, may I have a word with one of you?" asked the leader of the opposing group. Naruto laughed, getting in a fighting stance.

"Oh, just one word? I think it's missing something, dattebayo… How about… a word and a blow!" He jokingly threw a punch at his opponent. The man stepped back, a mocking grin on his face.

"Ah, you shall find me happy enough to accommodate you, sir, if you give me reason!"

"Couldn't you just take a reason without giving?"

"Mercutio, you consort with Romeo—"

"Consort? What, do you make us music-makers? If so, don't expect anything but discord: here's what I'll use to make you dance! 'Zounds, consort!" Naruto threw a few more punches into the air, grinning.

"Mercutio, Tybalt! We're making a scene… How about we just settle down and take this someplace else…" Naruto's friend pleaded.

"Then let the scene be made!" Naruto boasted. However, Tybalt had suddenly lost interest in Naruto.

"Ah, never mind, sir. Here comes my man…" Tybalt walked past Naruto, pushing him aside in the process. "Romeo! The hate I hold for you… can only be said as thus: You are a villian!"

Naruto fully expected a fight to occur, after such a horrid accusation. However, his friend smiled, and spoke: "Tybalt, the reason I have to love you completely excuses your words: a villain I am not: I see you don't know me at all. Farewell." Romeo walked past Tybalt, stopped only to greet Naruto, and left. It seemed he was in bliss.

"Boy, do you think I'll just let you off the hook after what you did to me? Turn and face me, coward!"

Romeo stopped and turned, a happy smile on his face. "What have I done to deserve your hate? I love you more than you can imagine, until the time comes that you learn why. And so, good Capulet, whose name I speak with as much respect as my own, be at peace." Romeo turned away, and Tybalt spat at the ground he stood at.

Naruto pulled out a kunai, and pointed it directly at Tybalt. "Tybalt, Noraneko, would you come with me?"

"What would you want, Mercutio?"

"Good Neko-sama, I would want nothing… but one of your nine lives. Nah, maybe I'll take the other eight, as well! Will you pull your blade out, and fight me? Be quick, or I'll take one of your ears right now, dattebayo!"

"Mercutio! Please, put away your weapon!" asked Romeo.

"Nah, I think this kitten needs to be put down!" Naruto threw his kunai, summoning his claws. Tybalt blocked with a short katana, and charged. Naruto punched Tybalt, drawing blood from his nose, and performed a Kawarimi no Jutsu to avoid the counter Tybalt attempted. Naruto warped behind Tybalt, leaning on him. "Come on, Neko-chan, you've gotta be quicker than that!" With a great rage, Tybalt turned, attempting to behead Naruto, who blocked with his claw. Naruto was about to finish the fight when Romeo stepped between them.

"Shame on you, gentlemen, cast away this hate! The Kage has expressly forbidden fighting in our streets! Stop!"

Naruto grinned. "Well, okay, but I'm not doing this for your— agh!?" Naruto looked down. There, stuck in his side, was Tybalt's blade. Tybalt withdrew it, splattering blood all over Naruto and Romeo, and fled. Naruto collapsed. "Ugh… And this… this was my good shirt…"

"Mercutio…" Romeo said, sadly.

"A curse… A curse on both your clans!"

"You're hurt," Romeo said. "Save your strength."

"It is just a scratch… But it is enough. You," Naruto pointed to one of his loyal comrades. "Find me a medic-nin…" The man bowed, and left with great haste.

"Courage, Mercutio… The hurt can not be that bad…" Romeo said.

"No, it is not so bad… but it is enough… heh… ask for me tommorow, and I'm afraid that you'll find that I'm a grave man… A curse on both your houses, dattebayo!" Naruto shook his fist at Romeo. "'Zounds, a dog, a rat, a mouse, and a cat to scratch me to death! Why the hell did you come between us!? He got me from under your arm!"

"I thought all for the best…"

"Benvolio… take me inside… A curse on both your clans! You've put me six feet under now, as surely… as if you'd stabbed me yourself… Your clans!" Benvolio picked Naruto up, and took him off the stage. "Thank you, Benny." Benvolio nodded, putting tear drops in his eyes and preparing to announce the death of Mercutio. "So, how'd I do?" Naruto asked, pulling off the white vest and the purple shirt he had been wearing, revealing a pouch of fake blood that had been pierced by Tybalt's blade.

The troupe leader laughed, taking all three items. "Pretty good, kid, for a starter. I'd almost say that you've done this before, huh?"

"Ehehe! I guess you can thank my shadow clones, they helped me practice. Not to mention that this Mercutio guy seems a lot like me… I mean, if you take the fancy words out and everything."

"Ha! I guess it's easier when you don't have to change too much about yourself!"

"Yeah, all you have to do is figure out what you're trying to say, and you're good to go!"

"Truth be told, I'd be honored if you came with us on our tour. I'm sure we could find a place for you when our usual man is able to walk again.

"Well, actually, I'm sorta on an important mission. When my leader finds the information we need, I'd have to be on my way… And with the person we're trying to find, there's no telling where'd she be."

"Oh, really? What's her name? I might be able to help."

"We're looking for some lady named Tsunade…"

"Ah, the Legendary Sucker… We saw her, just a day ago, while we were traveling. She's probably at Tanzaku City."

"Tanzaku City… Thanks!"

"Hey, don't mention it. Consider that part of the thanks for helping us out of this little bind." The troupe leader pulled out a few hundred ryou. "And this is the other part." Naruto took the bag and thanked the man before rushing to the dressing room to put his clothes back on.

'_Tanzaku City!_'

* * *

"_Ohhh… Some lady this is! Dissing the Hokage like that! I'm gonna show her what's what!"_

"_Naruto, don't be hasty!"_

"_Yeah… Yeah! I think I know the perfect way to knock her off her high horse!"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: The Gambler of Fate vs. The Legendary Sucker! Place Your Bets!**_

"_How about we play a little game?"_

* * *

Tsunade: "You've got to be kidding me. Gambler vs. Gambler?"

Luxord: "Not quite: Extremely lucky and skilled gambler vs. extremely unlucky and sucky gambler."

Tsunade: "WHAT WAS THAT?" (Throws a frozen author at Luxord)

(The author collides with Luxord, and the ice shaters.) "—INA FOREVER! …Huh? What… Nevermind. I'm ending this chapter now."

Shadow: "What, no commentary?"

"…Okay. If you all couldn't recognize my butchered, Naruto-ized version, that was part of Act III of Romeo and Juliet. Namely, the death of Mercutio. I thought it was nice."

Xigbar: "It was filler. Worthless filler, dudes."

"Oh, shut it."

Xigbar: "We'll never refer back to it again."

"Ah, bu—"

Xigbar: "Ever."

"Meh. Anyway, Pokemon Platinum. Looks cool. The male character, as has been stated several times, looks even 'fruitier' than his Diamond and Pearl version did, according to several critics. What, just because he's wearing that… thing around his neck and that hat, he's gay? What is it about those items that make him look gay?"

Xemnas: "…No comment."

"Bah! Really, the white... thing is fancy. Go back a few hundred years, and you'd see them on anyone who wanted to look good. They'd be in gowny clothes, stuff that would be stared at today. I personally think those clothes look cool."

Shadow: "James, you think Rock Lee's clothing looks cool."

"…Don't judge me. Signing off."


	29. Place Your Bets!

XIII Ninja

James the Fox

"Sorry for making you all wait so long…"

Sonic: "You're too—"

Manaphy: (Used Ice Beam)

Sonic: (Frozen)

"Thank you. Now, I know I've been forever. However, I have a chapter of XIII Ninja here and a chapter of PKMN Wizard in the works. However, as you may know from my Journal Update in DeviantART, I've found myself flooded by real-world work, and it will likely only get worse up till summer, and probably not even then. As such, I am currently cutting back, and doing what I once thought impossible: I, James the Fox, am putting some fanfiction on Hiatus, even seriously thinking of completely discontinuing them. I have left the decision of which story will suffer this fate to you, the readers, through a poll on my FF profile. As a cartoony hawk once told me, if you don't vote, you don't get a reason to bitch, moan, and complain. Now, before you get the fanfiction, here's a little something from me. Consider it a (very) late holiday/Christmas/whatever-it's-politically-correct-to-say-day present."

* * *

_2 and a half years after XIII Ninja Chapter 27_

Hallways… Hallways… Hallways everywhere she turned. Hinata ran, faster than she thought she could carry herself, to the sound of a loud noise that had caught her attention.

"Please don't let it be him… Please don't let it be him…!" she muttered again for the 20th and 21st time respectively since hearing that noise and trying to find it in this veritable maze. Finally, she saw light ahead, and sprang for it.

She found herself in what had once been part of the complex she had just been in, but had seemingly just been destroyed. Llednar caught up behind her, and she could see his normally stoic face betrayed exhaustion. She remembered the fight he hadn't been given the chance to recover from. This mission was too important to give up on, for the both of them. Blood dripped from his mouth as he coughed.

'_Dammit… the stitches on his lung broke again._' Hinata turned to fix it with her medical Jutsu, but Llednar's eyes widened ever so slightly, showing in their reflection the source of his shock. Hinata turned to face… him.

"Naruto-kun…!"

Naruto stood before them, dressed in an open orange robe held closed at his midsection by a large dark purple rope and a black pair of pants. Despite these new clothes, everything about Naruto seemed to be the same as they had been when Hinata had met him… Until she met his eyes. They were cold… Utterly devoid of emotion, nor even of any sign of recognition of his old comrade.

"Hinata, Llednar!" Riku arrived on the scene, and followed their gaze to Naruto. "…Naruto… We finally found you…!"

"…" Naruto gave no response. Instead, he summoned his claws. The very weapon that had aided Team 9 so many times was about to be their demise.

"Naruto!" Riku yelled. "Stop this madness! It's time you come back home, to Konoha!"

"Konoha…" Naruto snarled, finally letting something show in his eyes: hatred. "You can stuff your 'home' bullshit down your throat and choke on it."

Riku glared back at Naruto, neither ninja standing down. "Orochimaru's using you, Naruto!"

"…That's better than Konoha has ever done. They hated me… cast me out… because I was a monster!" Naruto glared at Riku, a ball of dark flames appearing in his right hand as he raised it, the odd light glinting off of Naruto's face sinisterly. "Orochimaru took me in. He sees me as a monster, too … But since he's also a monster, he doesn't have anything to fear from me… He's brought me happiness… and the power to gain my revenge. When we're done here, we will show Konoha what they've spawned!" Naruto threw the miniature inferno at Riku, who blocked it with his own Dark Firaga and charged at Naruto.

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" Riku roared, swinging the blunt side of the Keyblade at Naruto's face…

…dispersing a clone and being impaled by dark claws as Naruto leaped from a Dark Portal below him, in front of where the clone had stood.

"G-Ggghhh!" Riku gasped, clutching at Naruto's searching hands.

"As I thought… You're a monster, too." Naruto glowered. "But why would they allow you to exist in the village, then? Maybe they don't consider you as much of a threat…" Naruto made to pull something from Riku's chest, but another familiar voice interrupted him.

"Naruto, stop. I have need of him… alive." Naruto hesitated as Uchiha Sasuke – _No, Orochimaru,_ Hinata reminded herself from Llednar's fight with him – rose from the ground. "A friend of mine wants something he has… Something our dear Riku-kun can only give him while he's alive." Riku suddenly started struggling, and pulled away from Naruto, leaving his heart out for all to see. In a panic, Riku grasped his heart from Naruto and, with a desperate cry, shattered it. He collapsed, vanishing into the dark.

"Riku-sensei!" Hinata cried out. Riku gave no reply as the last of his body faded away. "RIKU-SENSEI!"

"If you care about a monster like him that much…" Naruto muttered, "I'll be happy to send you on your way to be with him. Maybe you'll both meet at the gate to the afterlife!" Naruto vanished in a swirl of darkness, reappearing below and rushing Hinata. However, a figure jumped in the way, blocking Naruto's path.

"Sai!" Llednar growled, coughing up more blood. The man, Sai, bore a flash of recognition in Hinata's mind: the ANBU that had been assigned to their team for this mission. However, far removed from how she had first seen him, he was now a medical mess: both his arms had been blown away, possibly in the fight that had led up to that explosion. A large gash also made itself known on his back, all the way down his spine. By rights, he should be either dead or dying.

"Just die already, scum," Naruto glared at the man, grabbing Sai's face and smashing it violently against the ground, splattering blood, bones, and brains on the floor. He looked again at Hinata, stalking towards her. Despite knowing that she would soon be just as brutally crushed, Hinata couldn't move, half out of fear, and half because, even now, her mind still couldn't bear the thought of harming the boy who had saved her life so long ago…

Despite his wounds, Llednar had no such reservations. After all, he had always wanted to fight and test his strength against Naruto's. It might not be what he had originally expected, but his chance was here nonetheless.

"HHHHHRRRRAAAGGHH!!!" He was already at Naruto, his entire body a full crystallized sapphire hue as he aimed his sword at Naruto's skull. Naruto vanished at the last moment, reappearing the same exact second behind Llednar, grabbing at Llednar's head. Llednar spun around while ducking, bringing his sword around to chop Naruto's legs off. Naruto hopped over it, landing on Llednar's outstretched right arm. Llednar gasped in pain, dropping his sword. Naruto grimaced at the ninja.

"Hm… I can see you have some power yet. Despite that… Why would Konoha send a shinobi with only one arm into a battle? I didn't think even they'd be that foolish…"

Llednar gave no reply. Orochimaru had been strong… Extremely strong, with those eyes. It had ended with Llednar, Riku, and Hinata barely driving him off, but not without the snake ninja severing the red-clad Leaf ninja's left arm. Hinata had tried, but their original Medic Ninja, Sakura, had been killed in the same battle, and Hinata wasn't quite good enough to reattach limbs… And now it would cost Llednar his life.

Naruto stepped off of Llednar's wrist, kicking the shinobi's face with the foot that had been pinning him down earlier. Llednar hit the ground a far distance away, not getting up. Again, Naruto turned to face Hinata.

'_No… This can't be…_'

Naruto started walking closer.

'_It… It's not…_'

Hinata backed away, only to find herself in a corner.

'…_not real… this has to be…_' Hinata formed a handseal. "Kai!" she breathed.

Naruto was still stalking closer, like a hunter towards its prey.

"K-kai!" He was in front of her now. She stared at him, searching him for any sign of her old friend… She reached out, touching his face. "N-Naruto… It's… It's me… It's Hinata… Don't you…" She stared, tears filling her eyes, as Naruto reached back with his left hand, starting a swing that would surely decapitate one his oldest friends.

His claws met her neck.

* * *

"NARUTO!" Hinata screamed in horror and shock, breathing heavily. "…Wha…What?" She looked about, trying to calm herself down. "…My room… A nightmare." She suddenly heard knocking on her door. "C-come in," Hinata stuttered, still calming herself. Hanabi walked in with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you alright, Hinata? I heard you scream Naruto's name."

"It's… nothing. Just a nightmare… a really bad one, but I'm fine."

"What, did Naruto die or something?" Hanabi asked, a teasing tone in her voice. Hinata looked away.

"I almost wish it had been something like that," Hinata muttered, rubbing her neck. That dream had been so vivid, as though it were _real_…

All that day, she couldn't shake the image of Naruto's cold eyes meeting hers, showing no passion as she breathed her last…

* * *

Naruto: (Gawking) "You can't be serious."

"Actually, considering some of what happens in the future of XIII Ninja and everything revealed right now, this could happen in the plot. Mmhmhm Mmhmhmhmhm…! HAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA!"

Naruto: "I'm not going to comment on your maniacal laugh."

(The 17th Immortal: "Neither am I. Needs work.")

"I thank you for that. Now, on to the fic."

* * *

NOTE: _'This is a format.'_ Thinking

'_**SHANNARO!'**_ Inner Sakura/Hinata/Ino/Any Random Girl/Kyūbi/Kyūbi-Naruto

* * *

Naruto ran through the streets as fast as he could, having just learned the most recent location of Lady Tsunade.

'_I've got to get this information to Ero-sennin…_' he thought to himself. '_Now, where could—_' his mental question was answered prematurely by the unmistakable laughing coming from the building nearby. Naruto looked at the source of the noise, and deadpanned. '_Of course… the bar._' He sighed, and walked in.

As expected, there was Jiraiya, holding an obviously alcoholic drink while being surrounded by women in various states of undress, across from another man in a similar situation. Naruto forced back the blood rushing towards his nose by willpower alone, walking towards the old shinobi, his composure cracking further with each and every second.

Someone else, however, had already let go of all semblance of composure.

* * *

"THAT FUCKING PERVERT!" Larxene raged, lightning flying everywhere. "I'LL KILL HIM! I SWEAR I'LL BE THE ONE TO KILL HIM! LET ME OUT, NARUTO! **LET ME OOOOUUUUUUUUTTT!"**

"TAKE COVER!" Xigbar cried, hiding behind Lexeaus. "Remember, Lightning is weak against Earth!"

"Isn't that only in that one game… Pok—" Lexeaus asked before being shot in the face by Xemnas for almost breaking the fourth wall.

Zexion sighed. "Yes, that is true. However in this World, Lightning is strong against Earth."

"That's kinda stupid…" Xigbar muttered. "In that case, what's Lightning weak against here?"

"Wind," Zexion replied absently as he flipped through the pages of his book, unmindful of the lightning bolts that were always just barely missing him.

"That's absolutely LAME!" Xigbar said in shock and anger.

"Yes, it is lame…" Zexion said, lazily turning the page in his book. "However… I think that you're missing the point—" Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck Zexion's book, charring it to a crisp. "—which is that EVERYONE NEEDS TO HIDE BEHIND XALDIN!"

"Hm?" Xaldin asked as he found himself at the front of a long line of men scared out of their minds. "You expect me to do something about this?"

Axel and Demyx nodded.

"…There is no way I'm going into that," Xaldin pointed at Larxene, whose rage and lightning was seeping even into the Kyūbi's chamber, where the pained screams of the monster could be heard. Everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

* * *

Naruto, however, seemed almost as angry. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, YOU PERVERT?! I thought you—" Suddenly, Naruto found a hand on his mouth.

"Shh…" Jiraiya muttered. Grinning at his companions, "I'll be right back!" he grabbed Naruto and guided him away from the group of luxurious women. "Be quiet! Have you ever heard of subtlety? These women work for a very important man… one who is as skilled with women and rumors as he is with politics and business. He could be the means to lead us to Tsunade, and I won't have you angering him."

"But that's just it!" Naruto replied. "I just found out where she's just been! The carnival here today said they saw her heading for Tanzaku Town!"

"Ah, yes, the carnival. I actually just brought them here a while ago," said the man Jiraiya had been speaking with. "I could get you there quite quickly, if you'd like," the dark-haired man smiled, lowering his sunglasses.

"Oh, that's not necessary," Jiraiya said.

"I insist, it's no trouble. You are quite a wonderful source of conversati— oh?" The man looked at Naruto closely. "My, my… you wouldn't happen to be Naruto, would you?"

"Um, yeah, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. How did you…?"

"Your sensei, RiD-san, or Riku-san, I guess, served as a guard for me sometime back. We've been in contact for past last year or so… Awhile back, he told me about a group of Genin he was training… He even sent me several photos of his little Team 9. I had volunteered to be one of the Judges at the Chūnin Exams, just to see if he was exaggerating. Team 9 was quite quick to fell any doubts I had, from what I saw… especially your comrade, Hinata-hime. Why, if she were but a few years older and I a few years younger…" The man caught the look in Naruto's eye. "Then again, it's nothing as is… Oh, silly me, I haven't introduced myself, have I? I am Al-Cid Margrace."

"Naruto, Al-Cid is a son of the Wind Country's Daimyo as well as a very rich and powerful tycoon, and has almost cornered the market in mass overland transport with the machines he's built…"

"Airships, Jiraiya. There's still much room for improvement, but I have every confidence that these ships will be capable of flying amidst the clouds someday. But for now, however, they still don't have sufficient energy in order to support their own weight for very long. They can, however, provide for a quick and relatively safe passage anywhere you wish. So then, would you like a ride?" Before Jiraiya even opened his mouth, Al-Cid turned around and beckoned his entourage of ladies. "Come, my fair birds… It's time to fly again. We'll be at the north edge of town." His crowd followed him as he left the building.

"Something about that guy… ticks me off. I mean, he just assumes that we're going to say yes?" Naruto asked.

"Yep. But that's him, and it does help us out. If we don't hurry, we might miss Tsunade…"

Naruto sighed. "…Fine, fine… I guess I just gotta trust a friend of Riku-sensei's is a friend of mine…"

* * *

_The Gambler of Fate vs. The Legendary Sucker! Place Your Bets!_

* * *

Hinata sneezed as she walked through the streets, heading for Ichiraku Ramen for a break from her training. In the weeks, she had changed very little, although her hair was beginning to grow out slightly. As she walked, she found herself outside of Konoha Hospital. She considered going in to check on Riku-sensei.

Anko-san seemed resigned as she revealed the outcome of her talk with Riku. "Riku decided it might be better if Naruto left with Jiraiya on a long-term training trip… and then they'll leave."

At once, all thoughts of visiting Riku was quickly kicked in the face, knocked to the ground, stomped on, blown up, and hit with _Sennin Goroshi_ just to make certain it wouldn't enter her mind again.

'What does he know, anyway… It would be easier for Jiraiya-sama to protect Naruto-kun if he were where he can get a lot of support… Here, in Konoha!'

A small voice inside her own mind suggested that Naruto being a moving target might actually be a better idea, but that thought was as quickly put in the same place as the previous pro-Riku idea.

Just as Hinata was about to continue on her Riku-free day, Anko's voice called out from the direction she had been walking.

"Hinata, I've been looking all over for you! Riku wanted a word with you."

Deep, deep, deep down inside her mind, a single word echoed.

'_**DAMMIT!'**_

* * *

Hinata sulked (albeit subtly) into Riku's room, escorted by Anko.

"You wanted to see me?" Hinata asked calmly, despite the vast number of things that were precisely _**not**__"You wanted to see me?"_ that she wanted to say. In fact, she was currently wanting, deep inside, to say _**'What do you want, you backstabbing little…?'**_

Riku apparently couldn't read minds, and he beckoned Hinata closer, pointing to the empty bed next to him. "Sit down, Hinata. I've got to speak with you."

'_**Fuck you!'**_"Of course, Riku-sensei." Hinata walked over to the aforementioned bed, and sat, trying and failing to lock eyes with the Jōnin.

"Hinata, I've got to say… I'm proud of you." Riku got into a more comfortable position, smiling. "You showed improvement beyond anything I expected from you, and that's saying a lot."

'_**Ah, but not enough improvement to be able to protect Naruto-kun like you Jōnin and Sannin, huh?' **_"I'm happy to hear you say that…"

"It's because of that improvement, Hinata, that the Council has decided preemptively to promote you to Chūnin rank, starting today."

'_**Say what?'**_ "Eh?"

Riku rummaged around beside his bed, and eventually produced a flak jacket. "Congratulations, Hinata."

For once, the inner voice had quieted down, stunned to silence. However, there was one thing Hinata wanted to know. "What about Llednar and Naruto-kun?"

"Unfortunately, Llednar can't because he never made it to the Finals, period. As for Naruto, they're still debating on that one. You know how it is. Anyway… I'll be frank with you. The village has been devastated. Our numbers our low, and we need everyone we can afford to be out there. People with strong minds and strong jutsu are being promoted. As it stands, I'd say there's a good chance that the Council will promote pretty much everyone who made it to the second round of the finals. That's you, Naruto, and Shino from Team 8. They're also promoting Shikamaru, since he damn well could have easily gotten to the second round…"

"So they're doing this mostly just because we're understaffed?" Hinata asked, leaving out some of the more rude and sarcastic parts that her inner self had suggested.

Riku waved his hands in a denying manner, obviously trying to reassure her. "No, don't think that you're just getting promoted because of that. You did wonderfully, Hinata… You and Naruto both. But I'm getting off track… now, why I called you here…" Riku suddenly became serious. "As a Chūnin among the kunoichi, it's time that you start learning more about the more… gender-specific parts of espionage you may be tasked with."

'_**Oh Kami-sama…'**_ Hinata mentally swore. _**'Don't tell me I'm going to get the kunoichi edition of The Talk from Riku-sensei of all people?'**_

Riku cracked a small smile at Hinata's face. "I can tell you have an idea of what I was about to talk to you about. Don't worry, nothing embarrassing is coming from me, rest assured of that. However, I am going to assign you some training for Kunoichi espionage. I know you learned a little about it in the Academy, but you obviously haven't learned enough. Therefore, I'm having Anko here teach you about that. This will be in addition to whatever other training you're already currently undertaking. Got it?"

'_**Oh, yay.'**_ Hinata nodded, hesitatingly taking the Flak Jacket. Riku nodded to Anko, who seemed like she was enjoying a thought FAR too much. The moment Riku signaled, Anko spoke up in her 'Army Commander' voice.

"Alright! First training session begins NOW!" Anko said, grabbing Hinata and dragging her off…

* * *

Naruto stared at the large wooden ship that was floating just barely over the ground.

"Are you sure that thing's safe?" Naruto asked, looking at Al-Cid. It was obvious that he had his doubts. "You, Pervy Sage, I'm sure you could handle this mission all by yourself…"

"Oh, don't be such a scaredy-cat, kid!" Jiraiya laughed. "I'm sure it's safe. Right, Al-Cid?"

"The safest. It does not fly all that high, but it is fast. It has even outrun a Tailed Demon, once." Al-Cid looked at the sky in remembrance. "Ah, good times… Good times."

"However, building something like this is extremely expensive, so much so that most countries aren't willing to have one made, despite the advantages it could offer, compared to on-foot ninja guarding a caravan," Jiraiya continued.

Al-Cid laughed. "That is why I have the monopoly on quick cross-continent trade. We can zoom right through a country and not worry about being shot down, whereas ninja are going to be stopped by enemy ninja every time."

"Then why'd you call Riku-sensei as a guard once?" Naruto asked skeptically.

"My birds tell me many things. You can guess that my monopoly has angered quite a few people… certain various companies who lost business because they were unable to stop my clients from getting their wares to far-off areas. So I caught word of a bounty on my head… Quite unfortunate, really. Because my own country's Hidden Village was far too busy to lend assistance at the time, I commissioned Konoha for assistance instead. They sent Hatake Kakashi-san and his team: Ichidō Nochi, the taijutsu specialist, Tebiki Anchū, the genjutsu specialist and medical-nin of the three… and RiD, the ninjutsu specialist, sword-master, and otherwise team leader." Al-Cid shook his head. "Those three… I could tell that they were among the more highly skilled shinobi of the world… Of them, though, RiD was by far the most cautious, even once I came to know him. Never went without those bandages during the entire time they were with me, I assumed he got those from his sensei. In the end, we discovered the one foolhardy enough to place a bounty on my head, and RiD… persuaded them to remove it. I do not know what exactly he did, but I've not been bothered by assassins since. Though there has been talk of a shinobi who defeated over 40 different assassins attacking him at the same time…"

Naruto didn't seem to realize it, but as he was walking and talking with Al-Cid and Jiraiya, both were subtly guiding him onto the floating ship. "You know, he took off those bandages a while back."

"Yes, so I've heard. I don't know why he was hiding in the first place. His face is actually quite beautiful. I doubt there's a single girl in your village who doesn't envy his girlfriend."

* * *

Hinata suddenly felt like someone, somewhere, was complimenting Riku too heavily. The mere thought annoyed her, even more than Anko's so-called training methods. Hinata's "feminine espionage training," if that was what it could be called, had started instantly with Anko demonstrating how to seduce a person with only her vocal and body language.

Until this point, she had believed that the only thing she shared with the rest of her clan had been her eyes. Now she realized how indignant she was over this training… Although that could just be her pride as a female acting up. How any decent woman willingly went along with this… training… she didn't know.

Anko sighed. "Come on, Hinata, even if I were a boy or a lesbian, I wouldn't be turned on at all by this! Try again, you need a bit more _foreplay_…"

Oh, she hated Riku and Anko SO much right now.

"Do I have to show you how it's done again?"

"No. I'm fine." Hinata growled as she looked up from the large dummy she was currently in a very inappropriate position with.

"Okay then! Now, use your sexy talk, Hinata. Sexy talk."

'**AGGGHHHH!! WHY ME!?'** "…"

"Come on… Pretend it's Naruto, and you're trying to seduce him. This is your one shot! Now, try again."

Hinata stood up and readjusted her clothes in the way Anko had suggested. She then bent over a bit so that, according to Anko, a person the height of the dummy would be able to see a bit down her shirt. Again, Anko interrupted.

"For the love of… Hinata, you're too rigid! You'll need to be more casual about it, like it's as natural to you as walking!"

"Well, it's not! And, well, to be honest, that… that… thing…" Hinata stammered, pointing at the dummy, "…is starting to creep me out!"

"Ahhhh…" Anko grinned. "I see what you're asking, you little perv. I'll be right back."

Hinata stared as she left. _'Perv!? Me, a pervert!? What did I say?'_

* * *

Naruto stared at the ground moving quickly beneath him, as he had for the last few minutes. '_Whoa…_' As Al-Cid had said, his airship was FAST. He could barely make out the details of the trees below as they moved at incredible speeds beneath him.

"You think this is fast? Man, the ones they have in Radiant Garden are much faster… Like, five times as fast!" Roxas bragged. "They can get from one edge of the world to the other in minutes."

"Oh, how were they doing when you last saw them?" Xemnas asked absently, showing slight interest in his old homeworld.

"Okay. They've finished fixing the damage the Organization caused from our big invasion…" Roxas shrugged. "The population was starting to fill back up, so they were thinking about building a new castle… one that floats high above the ground, like ours did. However, theirs was apparently going to be able to travel around."

"How'd they manage something like that?" Vexen asked.

"Gummi Block Foundations, obviously."

"Huh." Vexen muttered, now uninterested in the topic since he had learned what he had wanted to know.

"Anyway, they said they were going to call it Neo Radiant Garden."

"They?" Xemnas asked.

"Cid Highwind and his gang of wrench-monkeys. They were really proud of it."

"And he built the airships, too?" Axel queried.

"Yup." Roxas said. "Sora wanted one so much… but Riku was afraid he'd crash it into the islands." Roxas laughed. "They'd argued incessantly, up until Cid finally got fed up and showed Sora the cost. 5.32 Million Munny."

"Dude! And that stopped him?" Axel smirked.

"Heck no. He kept just started saving up the old-fashioned way…" Roxas looked at the visage of the old Destiny Islands, beyond his seat, just out of his reach. "He was about… 3000 Munny short when… It… happened." Roxas pulled out the Oathkeeper Keychain. Unlike the version Sora had given to Riku, which now hung from Naruto's neck, this one, Roxas' version, was still whole, without even a scratch on it. "I think his hoard is still there, on the islands. Unspent, it lays there, a symbol of a lost dream."

"…Man, you don't have to be such a downer, Roxas." Axel frowned. "It's called optimism. O-P-T-I-M-I-S-M. Got it memorized? You should try it out."

"…"

"…How about this? When we get out of here, we'll work together, and finish saving up that munny, and buy us an Airship." Axel grinned, wrapping an arm around Roxas in a friendly manner. He stretched out his free arm, waving it slowly. "Then we'll use it to go all over the worlds, as a dynamic duo! And when we do, we'll have completed Sora's dream, right?"

"…Yeah."

* * *

Hinata suddenly woke from her slumber as a loud, annoyingly obnoxious voice called out from behind her.

"Heeeey, sleepyhead! Wake up!" Hinata glared at Anko. She was having the most wonderful dream, and she just HAD to ruin it before it got to the best part, where she killed Itachi and lived safely with Naruto forever more… Hinata grumbled inaudibly in response to this, and Anko laughed. "I've got you your new training dummy!"

"…What?" Hinata raised an eyebrow.

"For your training. You said you needed someone to practice your seduction skills on! So I got the best man for the job." Anko stepped aside, leaving a completely bored-looking Llednar.

"W-wait… what?" Hinata's eyebrow twitched.

"You said the dummy was creeping you out, so I got something better! He's a boy. He's your age. He's straight… I think."

If Llednar took any offense to that, he didn't show it.

"Plus he's attractive, if a bit odd, and since you're friends, there won't be ANY lingering awkwardness between you!"

Hinata didn't even bother giving that statement a retort.

"He's also probably the most _un_perverted person your age I've ever seen, so if you actually can seduce him, you can seduce anyone!" Anko laughed.

"Unperverted… Is that even a word?" Hinata mumbled in question. Llednar gave a slight motion resembling a shrug, but nothing else.

"Now, time to begin the training!" Anko laughed.

* * *

Naruto suddenly wished he could be back in Konoha, mostly to be back with Hinata. He wasn't quite sure what caused this homesickness and desire to see Hinata, so he shrugged it off for the most part. Instead, he watched Jiraiya conversing with that Al-Cid guy. The two of them obviously seemed to be good friends. Naruto assumed that Al-Cid was one of Jiraiya's major sources of information, and that they had gotten to know each other over the course of many missions.

"Ah, so he is…" Al-Cid looked at Naruto. "Does he know?"

"No."

"I do not know why you have yet to tell him. He seems like the kind who would take it well."

"…I've considered that, as well. But he's already overconfident as it is, and I don't want to swell his head too much, or else it might burst. I think I'll wait till he's grown a bit more, so he has more space for all that hot air."

Al-Cid laughed.

"Also, he has a lot on his plate as is… In his own right, he has many enemies who want him. Orochimaru, Akatsuki, the people in the village… I don't want to add the Fourth's enemies to the list until I think he's good and ready."

"Ah… I can see that line of thinking. However, you need not worry too much about Akatsuki right now."

"Eh?"

"One of my sources states orders have just came out for them to go into hiding for a time, while they set up for the next phase of their plans… There are estimates that this will actually go on for a number of years."

"And Orochimaru?"

"He seeks a healer currently, and is setting up plans of numerous sorts. Unfortunately, my man within that circle was uninvited to that little party, and so knows nothing of said plans as of yet."

"A healer… He may be going after Tsunade, as well. We've got to hurry!"

"Do not worry, then! We shall soar, and be there in no time!" Al-Cid pulled a lever, and the ship sped up a fraction, though enough to nearly bowl Naruto over.

Naruto stood, rubbing his head. "Owwwww! What's the big idea!? It's not like we're in that big a rush, dattebayo!"

* * *

Tsunade collapsed, staring at Orochimaru's hand, doused with blood. Her breathing increased more and more.

"Think about it, Tsunade… Restore my arms, and I'll happily restore your lost loved ones…" Orochimaru laughed maliciously. "I'll await your reply in one week." Orochimaru stepped away, and vanished.

His assistant, Kabuto looked at her. "Remember, Tsunade-hime, that if you answer yes, the Jutsu will need two human sacrifices. Be sure to have them ready when the time comes." With that, Kabuto left as well, leaving Shizune to tend to the hyperventilating Sannin.

* * *

As the Airship landed outside of Tanzaku Town, Al Cid pulled Naruto aside.

"A word of advice. Do not worry overmuch about your troubles. Be sure to take a vacation every now and then. The answers to all problems come at their own pace. Push them, and they may very well pass you by."

"Eh? What brought that up?"

Al-Cid took off his sunglasses, gave them to a woman standing at his side, and crouched enough to stand face to face with Naruto. "With all the dangers surrounding you, certainly there is heavy stress on you. Akatsuki, Orochimaru… Let's also not forget your troubles at home."

"How do you know all about that?"

"Jiraiya tells me many things, and I tell him many things as well. I am, I am proud to admit, one of his better sources of information, due to my traveling the world and collecting many tales and many sources of my own. It is not often that I hear of the movements of such groups, but that number has been growing as of late. Riku himself is one of those sources, in a sense, for me to learn more of what is happening in Konoha and the places he travels."

"…"

"Oh, but don't worry, I keep these to myself. I do not betray my friends so easily. But I do learn much news before it hits the papers, so to speak. For instance, I learned of your adventures in the Land of Waves from not just Riku, but four other sources which granted me some perspective. From Riku, I learned you had single-handedly freed the Land of Waves from oppression, and had spared the lives of two missing ninja. From a young villager I met on a trip there, I received a letter about an amazing group of people who had stopped the 'bad people' from taking his sister away every week, with her coming back in tears…

"From a man I had posing as part of the underworld of that region, I learned of a large power vacuum that had collapsed the crime industry in the Land of Waves. From a friend in the government in Kirigakure, I learned they had evidence pointing to the death of Momochi Zabuza; they claimed to have found traces of his blood on the new architecture known as the Great Naruto Bridge, as well as confirmation from that village that they had hired Leaf Ninja to kill him, afterwards dumping his corpse into the waves. Finally, from another friend in that same village, I found that, in truth, they were simply covering Zabuza's tracks and those of the young boy traveling with him.

"Overall, I understand that much good was done there, partially because of you, Naruto." Al-Cid laughed. "Quite amazing how many perspectives of the same story you can get, hmm?" There was a short pause, as though Al-Cid was contemplating his next words. "Perhaps things are happening in your life now, that you have no way of knowing."

"Like what?" Naruto asked, vaguely wary. He never liked it when stuff was happening to him that he didn't know about; it reminded him too much of before.

There was a silence. "…I simply do not know. That is something you will have to find without me… however, I give this advice: You are never truly alone. Find the perspective you need to see the whole story." Cid accepted his sunglasses back and donned them again. "For this very moment, though, you will have to work with what you have." He turned and walked back to the controls of his ship.

Naruto sighed. "…He's a nice guy," he concluded to himself.

"Yeah, perverted, but nice," Larxene conceded.

Xemnas smirked.

"But not nice enough to stay my hatred of perverts like him."

Xemnas shook his head and went back to reading his Icha Icha Violence.

* * *

"So what now?" Naruto asked upon entering town. It was late and he was tired, but he had a promise to keep.

"…_Should you encounter your former teammate, Tsunade-himesama, could you possibly persuade her to come to the village?"_

"_Don't you worry, Llednar! We won't let you down! I promise!"_

"We search, and quickly. We have to find Tsunade, before she leaves town. And we'll start… there!"

Naruto looked at the pub. "…You can't be serious." he deadpanned, but followed anyway.

"Yes, I'm serious. Pubs are where information gathers…" Jiraiya trailed off as he looked at a corner. "Ah, and also where certain medic ninja gather as well, apparently."

"Eh?" Naruto asked, following Jiraiya's gaze. "…Wait… That's her?"

"That can't be! She's… almost as young as when I last saw her!" Larxene stared.

"Eternal Youth, hm?" Xemnas muttered.

"Okay, I'd hit that!" Axel grinned, before being hit HARD with a lightning bolt.

"And I'll hit that," Larxene grumbled as Axel collapsed limply.

"J-jealous?" Axel grinned again, before being zapped again.

* * *

Hinata stepped into the Hyūga Complex looking quite burnt out. Hiashi smiled as she passed him by.

"Training hard?"

"…Yes." Hinata grumbled. Hiashi noticed that she was now wearing a Chūnin Vest.

"I see the village has appreciated that. Do you know if the rest of your team will be advancing as well?"

"We don't know about Naruto-kun yet. The council is… reluctant to promote him, despite the village's need."

"And the young Twem?" Hiashi noted that Hinata froze in place for but a moment.

"…No."

"I notice that I do not see you spending much time outside of training with him."

"Oh, we're spending _plenty_ of time together, especially recently."

Hiashi noted the tone in her voice, and shook his head as she left into the dining room.

"…Am I to take it, then. from the vest that you're training her in… espionage… Mitarashi-san?"

Anko jumped from behind the roof of the complex's outer wall, grinning like a loon. "Yep."

Hiashi shook his head. "Of course. It is a part of every kunoichi's training, and she is learning from one who is considered the best. However I would ask that you are not so… rough with her, in this. She looked as though she had been through the Bijū's lair and did not like what she saw."

"Well, what do you expect from her first lesson? Of course, when she _really_ realizes the alternate uses of this training… heheh… I'll bet when Naruto-kun comes back, she'll use what she's learned on him and…" She trailed off, letting out a perverted giggle.

"…I choose not to indulge you in that bet. I know I will end up owing you something… unsavory."

"Ha! You know me too well!"

"Very well. Just… try not to corrupt her _too_ much."

"Can't promise what I can't control!" Anko singsonged, grinning as she left. Hiashi shook his head, then looked to the stars.

"Kami-sama, I do not ask for many things, but please… Do not let Hinata follow that woman's example."

* * *

Llednar walked into the Twem Compound, his expression entirely neutral. Mid noticed him walk in.

"Hey, Llednar-sama, what did Anko-sensei want?"

"To help with Hinata's training."

"Don't you usually do that?"

"Yes, I do."

"Hm… Wait, isn't Riku-sensei your team's teacher?"

"Yes, he is."

Mid scratched his chin. "Then wha… oh, yeah, Riku-sensei is in the hospital, right?"

"Yes, he is."

"So, what is Hinata learning that required your help?"

"Espionage techniques."

"Huh, sneaking and all that stuff? Sounds tough. Tell her I'm rooting for her." Mid turned around and walked away.

"…I shall be sure to pass that along."

* * *

"WHAAA…!?" Naruto slammed his cup on the table, coughing. "H-Hokage!? I didn't hear anything about THAT!"

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" Jiraiya said jovially. "Silly me."

"Jiraiya, who is this brat?" Tsunade asked.

"My apprentice, Uzumaki Naruto."

'_Uzumaki Naruto… The Kyūbi Jinchūriki, and Namikaze Minato's son._'

"So, Tsunade, are you willing to accept?"

There was an all-consuming silence.

"…Impossible… I decline…"

Jiraiya was the first to get over the shock and chose his next words carefully. "I remember… you used those same words every time I asked you out."

"Wait… So we came all this way to ask _her_ to become Hokage?" Naruto asked, unable to hold it anymore.

"Yes. I assure you, she's very well-qualified. It was because of her that we did so well back in the day, and why we now have the one medic ninja per squad requirement. Also as the granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage, she is appropriate for the job… This is the decision of the Council. It's out of your hands, Naruto."

"Hmph." Tsunade took another drink of her sake. "This kid is worse than your previous apprentice."

"Yeah, well… It's not exactly easy to compare a kid to the Fourth Hokage, now is it?"

"W-what?" Naruto muttered under his breath in shock.

"He was smart, strong, and handsome, just like me! He was a genius!"

"But even he died all too quickly… Giving up his life for the village. Life is far different from money… Anyone who gambles it so easily is fool…"

"Grrrr…" Naruto growled.

"My Grandfather and great-uncle, the Shodai and Nidaime Hokages… They wasted it all trying to bring peace to Konoha, and so they died in the middle of their dream, just like losers… The Third died that way, too, because he was just too old to live those dreams. It's a shitty job, with shitty payoff. No one but and idiot and a fool would take it!"

At once, the table turned over, Naruto glaring with full force on Tsunade while being held by Jiraiya. "What did you just say?!" he snarled.

"Naruto! You're making a scene! Settle down!"

"No way! I can't forgive anyone who dares badmouth the Hokage!" Naruto shook his fist at Tsunade. "I'll just kick her ass!"

Tsunade laughed. "You've got some guts, kid… Alright, let's take this outside."

"Happily." Naruto followed Tsunade out, and Jiraiya shook his head.

"I just hope they don't cause too much damage…"

"We have to stop her! She'll kill him!" Shizune said.

"Don't count him out yet… Naruto held his own against not only Orochimaru, but two reincarnated Kage as well with the aid of the Sandaime, if reports speak true. He'll probably be able to hold his own against Tsunade… and if not, then I certainly can." Jiraiya walked outside and watched the two of them stand off.

"This will be easy… One finger's all I'll need." Tsunade smirked, raising that finger.

"Don't underestimate me," Naruto grinned. "After all, I'm Konoha's #1 Unpredictable Ninja!" Naruto vanished into darkness, reappearing above Tsunade. Tsunade jumped backwards, only to find a Shadow Clone waiting with a punch. She spun, flicking the clone and dispersing it.

'_When did he get the chance to…_' She saw Naruto standing where he had landed, with no sign of him preparing to move against her.

"So, you're the Legendary Sucker, right?" Naruto grinned. '_This is going to be __**fun**__…!_' With that thought, he transformed. Now, his hair was shorter, and earrings adorned his ears. A bit of peach fuzz also made itself apparent, and Naruto spoke, this time with a second voice speaking in a vague sort of accent. "Care to play a game?" Naruto snapped, and two Nobody Symbols appeared on Tsunade and Naruto's respective right hands.

"Wha-?"

"When that symbol is gone, you're out of time. The first to run out of time loses."

"I can tell that Luxord is savoring this," Xigbar smirked.

"Land a hit on your opponent, and they lose more time…" With that, time froze, and when it started again, a bunch of people sized cards were face down on the ground, and Naruto had vanished. "Now, let's play! CARDS!"

"These cards…" Tsunade shook her head. "Don't hide from me!" She smashed her finger into a card, only for it to explode in her face. True to Naruto's words, a little of the top of the symbol had vanished.

"Argh…"

"'One finger's all I'll need,' isn't that what you said? Well, it looks as though you'll need to put a little more into this fight, if you want to keep your honor. Test your luck or you might just lose your life!"

"You BRAT!" Tsunade roared, slamming her finger into the ground, creating a crevice that hit two of the cards at once. The first exploded, but the second turned into a bunch of cards, which flew to surround Tsunade.

"Did you teach him this, Jiraiya-sama?" Shizune asked.

"No, this is something only he can do. He has several other powers, as well. I guess he thought this one was perfect for the job."

When the card had vanished, Tsunade found that she, too, was a card. '_Strange… somehow, I… know how to move in this form…_' The card moved forward slightly, then backwards. "Okay, this isn't so bad…" Suddenly, one of the facedown cards brought itself up to reveal Naruto inside of it. Naruto stepped out of the card with all the ease of walking out of a building, and smiled.

"That will wear off in time… But for now, you're a sitting duck!" Naruto thrust his palm forward, and all of the facedown cards flew at Tsunade, exploding on contact.

'I _see… This really is a game… He hides in one card and leaves several decoys, most of which explode, and one of which transforms me into a card…_' Tsunade narrowed her eyes. '_You can't stop me this easily!_' With her willpower, she forced her card form to spin and fly at Naruto, who ducked the attack. The card flickered, and Tsunade found herself back to normal. "I'll get you for that…"

"That's what you get for not taking this seriously…" Naruto grinned. "Now, DICE!" Naruto summoned a large die and threw it at Tsunade. Tsunade punched it, and it stopped immediately, breaking into two and bouncing on the ground. "For your information, if you get _cho_, you're safe. If it's _han_… not so much."

The first die settled.

'_Five… I need another odd number…!_' Tsunade stared at the last die, which, after what felt like forever, settled. Tsunade found herself transformed into a die herself. "SHIT! 2!?"

"To fight purely based on luck… That's insane," Shizune muttered.

"Not when the Legendary Sucker is your opponent…" Jiraiya retorted.

Tsunade flung herself at Naruto, intent on at least damaging him. Naruto summoned a card and swung it like a fan, blowing her away. This short cycle repeated five more times before Tsunade returned to normal.

"Having fun?" Naruto asked.

"I'm about to…" Tsunade retorted, charging like a bull. "…I'm sure I'll enjoy punching that smile off your face!" She threw a fist at Naruto.

"SLOTS!" At once, Naruto vanished, and a large white slot machine appeared. Tsunade stared at it.

"What the…?"

"The game is simple…" Naruto said as the machine started up. "You'll notice that instead of your usual symbols, you can see our faces and a second symbol attached to it. If we get three of one of our faces in a row, the person depicted takes the effects symbolized by the attached symbols. If we don't get a three in a row, we try again until we get a three in a row."

The first slot stopped, showing Naruto's face on the top with a frozen clock attached, Tsunade's face in the middle with a bomb attached, and Naruto's face again at the bottom with a heart attached. The second slot stopped, with Naruto's face and a crossed out N at the bottom, Tsunade's face with a fist and an arrow pointing up at the top, and…

"Ohh, we've got a wild card." Naruto noted at the odd symbol Naruto recognized as the Nobody Symbol with a G crossed out.

Finally, the last one stopped, revealing Tsunade's face with an angel attached at the top, Naruto's face with a clock that had an arrow pointing up at the middle, and another picture of Naruto's face with a Shield attached.

"I see, three in a row…" Jiraiya muttered.

The slots turned into a bunch of particles, revealing Naruto in the middle.

"Oh, crap," Naruto muttered. '_Stop, No Genjutsu, and Protect…_' Naruto moved into a defensive stance, a clock appearing above him that slowed down a stopped. Suddenly, Naruto was frozen in time.

"…What?" Tsunade rose an eyebrow. "Is he… frozen?" A smirk appeared on her face. "Looks like I win this one…" She walked up to the Stopped Naruto, and flicked his forehead.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, until the clock started moving again and disappeared. Naruto flew straight into the air, his forehead protector flying off as well.

'_She's… strong!_' Naruto thought, then heard a beeping. '_What!?_' He looked at the back of his hand, where his Nobody symbol had almost completely vanished. "With… with just one attack!?" Naruto hit the ground, the damage incurred finishing his symbol off. At once, an explosion of light occurred, and Naruto slid backwards, using the momentum to roll backwards back to his feet. He was back to his normal self.

Tsunade grinned. "Now that that's done with… I want to ask a question before you lose consciousness. What with you and the title of Hokage, anyway?"

"Simple…" Naruto said, summoning a shadow clone. "Because unlike you, I want that 'shitty' title…" He put his hand out to the side, and his clone started helping him form his chakra into a spinning ball of destruction. "To be Hokage… is my dream…"

'_T-that's…_' Tsunade's eyes widened, both due to something in her past, and due to shock of seeing the Rasengan being pulled out of nowhere.

"…And I won't stop till I've accomplished that dream, even for so-called Sannin like you!" Naruto charged at Tsunade, Rasengan spinning at full throttle. Tsunade thought fast, and thrust her finger into the earth, breaking it in half, tripping Naruto up. The Rasengan hit the earth, drilling into it.

"What power…" Xemnas muttered.

"Yeesh… that's insane," Axel muttered.

"She was lucky," Luxord muttered. "I suppose Fate decided to ignore her infamous losing streak this once…"

'_I never expected…_' Tsunade looked at Naruto's teacher. "Jiraiya, were you the one who taught him the Rasengan?"

"Yeah, I was…" Jiraiya replied. "What of it?"

"Tch… You know the only ones who can use that are you, Yondaime, and his student. Why teach a jutsu like that to a brat who can't even use it right? It just fills them with silly thoughts like 'I'll be Hokage someday!'" She pointed to the still recovering blonde. "Look at him! Him, a Kage in the making? He has to use a Shadow Clone to even use the Rasengan! How do you expect him to become strong enough to protect anything? It's so pitiful, it's funny!"

"It's no joke!" Naruto retorted. "You want me to use the Rasengan without shadow clones? FINE! Give me three days, and I'll be able to use it, and you won't see a Shadow Clone from me within a few miles!"

"Big words, kid. A man's words should never be taken back."

"And I won't! After all, that's part of my ninja way! You just wait!"

"Fine then… I'll give you a week, brat." Tsunade produced a necklace with a small crystal on the end. "If you can perform it without summoning a shadow clone, I'll acknowledge that you can be Hokage, and give you this."

"T-Tsunade-sama!" Shizune gaped. "You're not seriously…"

"Why'd I want a trinket like that?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Naruto-kun, that necklace is a really rare ore that belonged to the Shodai Hokage. If you sold it, you could buy three gold mines and the mountains on top of them!"

"Daaammnnn…" Axel said, and Roxas could almost see the ryō signs in his eyes.

"Hmm… Fine…"

"And if you don't, I get this little guy and everything inside him," Tsunade revealed Naruto's wallet.

"Kupo…" The moogle-shaped wallet squeaked.

"Ahh! Kupo-chan!" Naruto shrieked. Tsunade threw the doll/wallet back to Naruto, who caught it and stuffed it back in his pocket. Suddenly, he got an idea. "Hey, let's make this just a bit more interesting, old lady."

"Hm?"

"If I win, you have to come back to the village with us."

"What, to be Hokage?"

"No… I could care less about that… But I have some friends who need your help. If you win this bet, I'll do whatever you want."

Tsunade laughed. "Alright, I'll humor you."

"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune frowned. "That necklace is…"

"It's not like he can do it, anyway."

Jiraiya decided to speak up then. "Tsunade, how about we have a drink together, just the two of us?" Tsunade hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Shizune, could you and Naruto find a hotel to stay at tonight?"

"Alright…" Shizune replied, taking Naruto with her.

"Now then… I believe we have much to talk about, Tsunade…"

* * *

"_Damnit… How the hell am I going to get this to work without a Shadow Clone?"_

"_Think on it, Naruto, an answer will come!"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Tsunade's Choice! The Necklace's Curse!**_

"_I'll get it down… eventually."_

* * *

(The author is reading the Naruto Manga) "GO, GO! KILLHIMKILLHIMKILLHIM!"

Hinata(XIIININ): "Wait… What is she…"

"…"

(Long silence)

"There can be only ONE answer to this." (Pulls out odd knife and cuts a hole in dimensions. Leaves.)

Hinata: "I can't believe…"

(From the still-open portal) "Sorry bout this! Lucky for you that you don't need to revive Chrono to beat the game!"

(Also from the portal) Voice: "GIVE THAT BACK!" (James appears from the portal, a singe on his jacket and several arrows in his posterior. He hastily closes the portal, carrying an egg.)

"HA! With this Time Egg, I can revive ANYONE from death!"

Hinata: "Don't you need an exact duplicate for that?"

"… Crap. Well, anyway, Sorry about the long wait, folks. Me and my Beta were busy as bees with other things. However, I am also working on PKMN Wizard, so expect that sometime soon. I'll be seeing you then! Now, I'm sure I saw a life size doll somewhere on Ebay…"


	30. The Necklace's Curse!

XIII Ninja

James the Fox

"Err… uh, sorry?"

Crono: "…"

Marle: "I should kill you for that!"

"Well, that's quite impossible…"

Marle: "Then I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"…Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhh… How the heck would you do that? I'm pretty much a god here."

Marle: "We've fought guys who thought that of themselves before."

"Look, I gave you back the Time Egg. Crono's back. No harm done. Leave now, and be happy for that. I've got fans to pander to…" (Pulls out one of his Anti-Character Cannons) "Or be incinerated by my Anti-Marle Cannon. Your choice."

Naruto: "That's ridiculous. Does he have one of those for everyone?"

Shadow: "Yeah, he does. Mine negates the power of Chaos that keeps my body running before compressing my entire skeletal structure like a black hole. Yours negates the Kyuubi's chakra and regenerative powers and releases 1.7 tons of nuclear bombs locked on to your brain."

Naruto: "Holy…"

"So, what's it gonna be?"

Marle: (Already gone. A note is left behind.)

Note: "wE haVE KIdNapPed yOUR MANAphy. IF yOU WaNT TO seE hIM agaIn, BriNG yOUr Anti-James the Fox Cannon To LENnE SQUARE. ComE AloNE aNd wITHout aNY oTHer Anti-Character CannonS."

"…3… 2… 1…"

Manaphy: (walks through portal, sipping tea. His hands and chin are stained with blood.)

"I thought so. Anyway, On To The Fic!"

* * *

Jiraiya smiled as he and Tsunade sat at a small outdoor bar. "You've become even more beautiful since I last saw you, Tsunade…"

"You, on the other hand, haven't changed a bit," Tsunade replied snarkily. Jiraiya laughed a bit before deciding to change the subject.

"…So, you worried?"

"About what, exactly?"

"Naruto, of course! Have you already forgotten your bet?"

"Heh, I could care less. He can't master a technique like Rasengan in a week, not at the point he's at now."

"I wouldn't doubt him. He's had a great deal of experience doing the impossible. And beyond that, there's also his lineage…"

"Hmph." Tsunade drank down a shot in one gulp, and refilled her glass. "Even as Minato's kid, he lacks his father's genius. What do you see in him?"

Jiraiya smirked. "You didn't see it, then. That technique, which Minato himself required three years to create, Naruto learned in only a month… With only the smallest amounts of guidance from me. All while mastering the Summoning Jutsu and increasing his control over _Its_ Chakra. To be honest, I see him mastering this technique in a week, then taking it further. _Completing_ it."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "That brat, completing the Rasengan, even when you, not even mentioning his own father couldn't? Laughable."

"Care to make a bet on that?"

Tsunade smirked.

"What's the terms?"

"How about a date?" Jiraiya grinned. Tsunade pulled back her hand, preparing a punch. Jiraiya saw this, and prepared to dodge, only for her to put her arm back on the table.

"You're not worth it…" she said, looking back into her sake.

"…You're going to meet with Orochimaru soon, aren't you?"

Tsunade jerked her head towards Jiraiya, shocked for all of one second.

"Shizune's a good kid, but she can't hide her worries for shit. I don't know what he's offered you… but the answer must be no. Because, if you side with him…"

There was silence as Jiraiya seemed to hesitate in his words. When he finished, he had changed utterly, giving the appearance of deadly seriousness.

"…I'll kill you. The previous Hokages have fought to keep Konoha safe, and even given their lives to save it… A fool's bet, indeed, but I won't have you making their sacrifices for naught, no matter what ties we may have had in the past."

"…Why did you bring that brat along? To try and persuade me?"

It took Jiraiya a few seconds to realize what she meant. "…Oh! No, I have other reasons to bring him along. Now that you mention it… They do look similar, don't they?"

Tsunade clenched her fists. "…Yeah…"

* * *

_Tsunade's Choice! The Necklace's Curse!_

_

* * *

  
_

Naruto sneezed as he walked out of the hotel Shizune had decided on, cracking his knuckles as he did. "Alright! Time to start training!"

"Naruto-kun!" Naruto turned around as Shizune caught up with him. "I… I want to talk to you about something…"

"Can't it wait?" Naruto asked. "I have a week to master the Rasengan, so I can't be wasting time!"

"No, it can't! It's about that necklace… That necklace is more important to Tsunade than her life! She shouldn't just be betting it away!"

"Yeah, well, I didn't know that! She's the one who bet it."

"You don't understand… It's too dangerous for you to have!"

"Too dangerous?" Axel laughed. "Oh, here comes the crackpot story."

"I'd be careful about what I say if I were you," Larxene smirked. "After all, most people wouldn't believe Naruto if he told them about us."

"Yeah, but chances are, she's trying to make Naruto give up with a bullcrap threat."

Shizune, oblivious to this conversation, continued her warning. "The necklace… It allows no one but Tsunade-sama to wear it. Everyone else… died… Even her brother and lover died only hours after getting it."

"You're kidding, right?" Naruto asked. "That's impossible."

"So is having 13 ex-supervillains inside you," Xemnas warned. "It would probably be best to hear her out."

Shizune frowned. "It's why she left the village in the first place. She couldn't stand staying in a village with such bittersweet memories."

"…Tch…" Naruto narrowed his eyes and walked off.

"W-wait! Where are you going!?"

"To train." Naruto said. "…No offense, but I'm not a kid. I don't believe in ghost stories."

Luxord snickered at that. "Hey, Naruto, have I ever told you about my time in Port Royal?"

'_Eh?_' Naruto's puzzled thoughts echoed confirmation throughout the area.

"I was studying a set of coins that were said to be cursed, just like that necklace. You were granted immortality, but in exchange you lost the ability to feel and to taste, and you temporarily lost your flesh under the moonlight. Oddly enough, it does not seem to work on those from outside of that world. However, I'd warn you that I confirmed that curses are quite real."

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks at that. '_…Luxord, are you trying to make me give up on my bet?_'

"No, no. I'm just warning you: Watch your back. Ninja already seem to be trouble magnets. We don't want curses adding to that. I know Hinata would be sad to see you gone."

'_H-hey! Don't bring Hinata-chan into this!_' Naruto retorted.

Larxene stroked her chin, entering the conversation. "Speaking of her, she seemed really strange when we last saw her… Did anyone notice how she looked like she wanted to tell Naruto something?"

Zexion looked up from a dangerously familiar orange book. "Now that you mention it… Maybe she was trying to confess her love for Naruto?"

"I know, rig- Zexion…" Larxene eyed the book.

"I am reading for the sake of reading, Larxene." Zexion replied deadpan, knowing all too well where Larxene's thoughts were leading. "I am not a pervert."

"For now, but if you keep reading, you'll…"

"Hey, Zexion, what did you think of the development in volume 4, chapter 45?"

"Lame. Then again, so was the last chapter. Does Gaonta think that her cat dying is going to guilt us into forgiving her for raping Tahani in front of Rotuna?"

"Though it _was_ hot," Xemnas smirked slightly.

Zexion sighed. "…Though it _was_ an interesting, albeit predictable, plot twist. I suppose it is all Ratuon's fault for asking for this bastard's motivation… What does losing your pet to an alligator have to do with forcing yourself onto a sexually attractive girl anyway?"

"At least he didn't get a disease from it like Gaonta hoped he would."

"I merely hope she gets what she deserves, and soon," Zexion said.

"You two are impossible." Larxene grumbled. "Sometimes I wish all this was the other way around…"

"Twelve girls, one boy? Kinky."

Xemnas promptly got zapped. "Why did you do that? I did not say anything," he asked, indignant.

"Then who…?" Larxene asked. "What kind of idiot would say something like that?

Axel snickered quietly, while Roxas smacked his forehead.

* * *

Riku sighed from his hospital bed. "She's angry at me, isn't she?"

Anko raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Hinata. I can feel it… She didn't take my plans for Naruto well. Of that, I'm certain."

"She'll get over it…"

"So, how's that training you're giving her?"

"She's getting better, actually… Though she's obviously opposed."

Riku smirked. "I have an idea…" he gestured Anko closer, and whispered in her ear. Anko's face changed from a raised eyebrow of puzzlement…

To wide eyes of shock…

To a grin that screamed of pure evil.

"Riku… you are a sick, cruel bastard… And I love you for it."

"Yes, I have that effect on people, or so I've been told."

* * *

"W-What are you doing with that!?" Hinata nearly screamed at what Anko dragged to the empty classroom where they had moved their training to. The Dummy had returned, and with a makeover. Where it used to be a blank bunch of blocks, it now looked vaguely familiar with yellow coloring on the top of its head, two blue circles below a Konoha headband, and three lines drawn on either side of a speaker where the dummy's mouth would be. A seal was placed on the chest of the dummy, with the Kanji for "Transform" in the center.

"Behold! Dummy-Kun mark 2!" Anko pointed into the sky dramatically. "This oughta get your motivation up!"

"It's just a dummy that has Naruto's facial features drawn on it… and badly, too."

"Oh, that's just something I felt like doing when I got bored. Just watch and see what it can really do!" She performed several handseals, and placed a hand on the dummy's chest, and in a puff of smoke, there was Naruto.

Hinata deadpanned. "Y-You're joking." Anko attached chakra strings to the dummy, and pushed a certain frequency of chakra through the dummy, activating its speakers.

"Hi, Hinata-chan!" Dummy-Kun said, in a static mimicry of Naruto's voice.

Hinata stared at the dummy.

"Heh. You like it?"

"Anko-sensei… you're insane."

"I had Llednar's brother make it. Now, let's see some action!"

"…I don't think I like the blank look it's giving me."

"Awww… Naruto-kun just wants some love… Your love…"

The dummy inched closer. "Pleeeeeaaaaassssseeeeeee, Hinata-chan?" it asked, an obvious break occurring in the middle of the sentence.

"Anko-sensei, you're scaring me!"

"You can do I'm gonna be Hokage, Hinata-chan!" Dummy-kun exclaimed.

"Oops, wrong track," Anko muttered.

"You can do me, Hinata-chan!" the dummy corrected itself.

Hinata was desperate. She was scared out of her mind. Considering that, she still did the only thing a sane person would do.

She broke through the window as she jumped out of the building, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Llednar walked into the room just then. "Am I to assume that today's training is canceled?"

Anko picked up Dummy-kun, stroking its head. "It's okay, Naruto-kun, she'll come around…"

"Believe it!" the dummy chirped.

* * *

Six days later, Naruto laid on the ground, exhausted.

"Heh… Hehehehehe… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!"

"Dude, what's with you, Naruto?" Xigbar asked groggily. "I'm trying to get some sleep!"

"HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"He's snapped," Marluxia stated matter-of-factly.

"Given how the little snot's been awake all this time, I'm not surprised," Xaldin sighed.

"I SEE IT! I SEE IT! YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I SEE IT, MY PRECIOUS!"

"What do you see, Naruto?" Saïx asked.

"THE WWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!" And with that, Naruto lost consciousness.

"…Great," Roxas muttered. "I guess the line between genius and insanity is a fine one, after all…"

* * *

'_The Enemy can come from anywhere, at any time. It can perform any feat. No matter what form it takes, you must be ready to strike it down… You must show no mercy… If not…_'

"Nee-san?" Hanabi gazed worriedly at her sister. For almost a week now, Hinata had been on edge at all times. Her shoulder-length hair seemed unkempt, and bags were forming under her always-activated eyes. Even at the dinner table, Hinata kept one hand on her chopsticks and one hand near her kunai pouch.

"Hinata, maybe you should get some sleep…" Hiashi suggested.

'_No time for sleep… must remain alert… constant vigilance… Wait… is that… music? What… what song is…_'

An explosion finally snapped Hinata's mind, and she jumped to the ceiling as the wall behind her collapsed. The Enemy walked into the room, holding a microphone to its unmoving lips.

"…and desert you~ Never gonna make you cry~ Never gonna say goodbye~ Never gonna tell a lie~ And hurt you~…" The Enemy sang, with music also coming from it.

"DIE!" Hinata launched from the ceiling and slashed at The Enemy with Yoshitori, knocking it out of the hole it had come in from, knocking it into the stone border of the complex. Hinata followed up with a cry as she threw several kunai at The Enemy, all of which exploded as soon as they hit.

"Never gonna give~ Never gonna give~" sang The Enemy from beyond the smoke. Hinata pointed Yoshitori at the smoke.

"I'll do it! I swear I'll do it!"

"Geez, Hinata…" Anko said, walking in as the music stopped. "It's just a puppet…"

"You! You who birthed The Enemy! Leave now!" Hinata said, a mad look on her face. "Leave or be vanquished!"

"But—"

"LEAVE!"

Anko took the hint and sped off. Hinata let out a shrill and disturbing war cry, ran to The Enemy, and, using a fire jutsu, set it aflame.

"Aiyiyiyiyyiyiyiyi! Tonight, we feast in honor of our victory! We shall… We shall dine in…" Hinata then collapsed, asleep.

"…" Neji could only stare at Hinata's sleeping form. "What the hell was that all about?"

"I get the feeling we missed something," Hanabi muttered.

Hiashi walked over and picked Hinata up. "Well, whatever that was, Hinata is sleeping again. I suspect she will be out for some time…"

* * *

"…So she destroyed Dummy-kun?" Riku asked.

"Yeah… and then she made me leave. Damn girl looked like she belonged in the loony bin," Anko grumbled.

"Well, you did take it a bit far. What song did you make it sing?"

"…Never Gonna Give You Up."

"I take it back. You went WAY too far. I just wanted you to make it look like Naruto. Not talk and run around and… and sing!"

"But I thought it would add some realism to the doll."

"…Naruto singing?"

"Okay, that part was totally for my benefit. But still…"

"I think you should apologize to her when you see her tomorrow, then tell her what you were trying to do…"

"Alright. But first…" Anko grinned, pulling off her jacket. "The next check in by the doctors is in thirty minutes…"

"…Then I guess we better hurry…" Riku replied as he started to remove his hospital clothing.

"You have enough strength for this?"

"The doctors say my mind is the only part I should be worried about, and I'm only here because Naruto hasn't gotten back with Tsunade… I've got plenty of strength for this."

Anko smirked as she joined Riku in bed.

* * *

Jiraiya sighed as he walked down the streets of Tanzaku. "Don't know why, but I get the feeling I should be jealous of someone right now…" He looked up at the room Tsunade was staying at. "Hmm… Tomorrow's the day… maybe I should remind Tsunade one more time…"

"What the?" Shizune stared at the prone Naruto lying on the ground. "I should get him back to the hotel…"

"What do you want now, Jiraiya?"

"Tomorrow's the day…" Jiraiya grinned, drinking down a shot. "I wonder how Naruto did?"

Unbeknownst to Jiraiya, Tsunade seized a moment while he had been drinking to slip a powder into his bottle of sake. She smirked as Jiraiya finished the poisoned shot and replied, "That brat has no chance, of that I'm certain. If that's all, I'm going back to my room. I want to be looking my best when I get my prize." Tsunade stood up and left.

"We'll see about that… wait a sec, she left me the bill! SHIT!"

* * *

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cried as her master walked in on a sleeping Naruto. "It's Naruto! He's exhausted, and his arm is…"

Tsunade looked the boy over. "At this rate, there's no way he'd wake until after tomorrow…"

"Speaking of which…" Shizune started.

"Don't lecture me, Shizune. I make my own decisions…"

Shizune pulled out her poison needles. "If that's the case, then… then I'll stop you! I won't let you betray Konoha!"

"Fool… Who the hell do you think I am? Some whelp you can 'stop' so easily? Here's my answer to that." In mere seconds, Shizune was on the ground, unconscious, as Tsunade walked back out the door.

* * *

"_Orochimaru-sensei… We can't let him regain his former power!"_

"_Don't worry, Larxene, we'll get there in time…"_

_**Next Time on XIII Ninja: Larxene's Vengeance! Shadow Rasengan Emerges!**_

"_After all, I've got something to show her!"_

* * *

SPOILERS

Omake: Hinata is…

"… not even angry," Hinata said, closing the blinds in an old shack. "I'm being so sincere right now. Even though you broke my heart and killed me…" She walked to large pink box, rummaging through it.

"And tore me to pieces…" She threw out a bunch of dangerous implements, knives, bombs, screwdrivers, Akamaru, oh, a drill…

"And threw every piece into a fire…" Hinata finally pulled out a pink lab coat. "As they burned, it hurt because I was so happy for you." Hinata was putting on her coat.

"Now these points of data make a beautiful line. We're out of beta, and releasing on time," Hinata said as she started rummaging through the box again. "So I'm glad I got burned. Think of all the things we learned! All for the people who are still alive."

There was a knocking on the door. Hinata looked up, walked to the door, and opened it a crack.

"Hey, honey." Naruto smirked from outside, a cast on his arm. "We need another person for soccer. You wanna join?"

"Go ahead and leave me," Hinata replied. "I think I prefer to stay inside. Maybe you'll find someone else to help you."

"Okay," Naruto said, and he left. Hinata closed the door.

"Maybe Black Mesa?" Hinata thought for a moment, and laughed. "That was a joke, heh, fat chance." She walked over to a small stool, upon which a single piece of cake stood.

"Anyway, this cake is great, it's so delicious and moist." She looked over to a corner of the room. There sat, bound and gagged, Nagato, ex-leader of the Akatsuki.

Hinata walked over to the window, looking through the blinds. "Look at me still talking when there's science to do. You know, when I look out there, it makes me glad I'm not you." She put down the cake, and rummaged through the box again. "I've experiments to run. There is research to be done on the people who're still alive." She threw a katana out of the box. "And believe me, I am still alive."

She pulled out the object she'd been searching for: a rusty scalpel. "I'm doing science and I'm still alive."

The lights in the room flickered, and Hinata was suddenly a little closer to Nagato. "I feel fantastic and I'm still alive."

Another flicker, and Hinata was a bit closer. "While you're dying I will be still alive."

Nagato blinked, and Hinata was right in front of him. "And when you're dead I'll be still alive."

Muffled screaming. "Still alive…"

The screaming ended. Hinata was drenched in blood. "I'm still alive, bitch."

SPOILERS END HERE

* * *

"Man, That felt good… Wait a second. What the hell is…" (Staring at the Naruto Manga.) "Yeah. Someone's about to meet my Anti-Danzo Cannon. I think they'll be the bestest friends…"


	31. Shadow Rasengan Emerges!

XIII Ninja

Naruto Copyright Kishimoto, Shonen Jump, and (gasp) Disney!

Kingdom Hearts copyright Square Enix and Disney

XIII Ninja is... um... meh. I got nothing, use as you like, enjoy!

Harry: "…"

(James is lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth)

Shadow: "What the hell happened? Is he…"

Harry: "This is the effect of him finding out about Pokèmon HeartGold and SoulSilver combined with anticipation about Dissidia: Final Fantasy."

Shadow: "Eh? Another Pokèmon game? Didn't he buy Platinum this year already?"

Harry: "It's Pokèmon Gold and Silver remade for the DS."

Shadow: "…I don't follow."

Harry: "…You mean… You never played… OH MY GOD! HE'S BEEN DEPRIVED! SOMEONE GET ME A GAMEBOY COLOR AND POKEMON GOLD, STAT!"

Shadow: "Whatever. I'm going to start this up, alright? Right. On to the Fic."

* * *

"Ugh…"

"Hey, you all right?" Jiraiya woke to see the man in charge of the outdoor bar he and Tsunade had visited.

"What happened… Tsunade… NO!" With a start, Jiraiya tried to leap to his feet, only to find himself sorely drained of energy. '_She must have drugged me… shit…_' He got up, slowly this time, and ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the Hotel.

* * *

"Kabuto…" Orochimaru muttered as he traveled to the ruined castle with his subordinate. "It could be problematic if the exchange is interrupted…"

"Hmm? What do you suggest?"

"Make sure there aren't any interruptions, of course."

Kabuto smirked and left Orochimaru, heading towards Tanzaku Town.

* * *

_Larxene's Vengeance! Shadow Rasengan Emerges!_

_

* * *

  
_

"Oi! Shizune!"

"Ugh… Naruto… Wha…"

"_At this rate, there's no way he'd wake until after tomorrow…_"

"O-Oh no! Naruto, what day is it today?"

"Monday, why?" Naruto asked, befuddled by Shizune.

"…"

"What?"

"It's just… you've recovered?"

"Yeah, and I'm ready to show Tsunade what I've got!"

_'Oh yeah… He's the Kyuubi' Jinchūriki… No time! I have to get to Tsunade-sama!'_ "Naruto-kun, stay here!" Shizune opened the window, only for a kunai to fly past her face. She turned her head towards her attacker, only to find Jiraiya. "You're…"

"Shizune!" Jiraiya leaned against the wall, beads of sweat falling from his face.

* * *

Riku grumbled as the morning sun hit him. "Ugh, five more minutes…"

"Sorry, Riku, but sooner or later you're going to have to return to duty, so you've got to keep schedule!" Anko grinned as she adjusted the curtains to keep them open. "So… how'd you sleep?"

"Wonderfully," Riku smiled as Anko pulled up a chair.

"You know, I woke up today, and thought, '_Naruto's probably found Tsunade by now, and should be on his way back._' Have you changed you mind about your plans?"

"…No. In fact, my resolve has only grown. It would do him well to see all this world has to offer. Because knowing him and his gifts… He's probably going to see many other worlds before the end of his life. Maybe by realizing just how much there is to see now, he'll have a deeper understanding and love for his home, and when he leaves for beyond the stars… he'll still care enough to come back."

"…Do you still visit your world?" Anko asked after a long silence.

"…No. To be honest… The friends I had on it notwithstanding, I hated my homeworld… Someone described the place once exactly as I thought of it: '_A prison, surrounded by water._' At first I denied it, but… eventually I realized deep down, I couldn't stand being there for long. I often spent most of my days on other worlds, exploring the vast horizons I found there. Then after my friends and family were killed, I had no reason to go back, so I didn't."

"You hated it… surely there was something that you liked?"

Riku thought for a long time, then realized something he had buried away. "…The sound of the waves. I always enjoyed that sound, despite what it used to symbolize to me…"

"See, then, your world 'wasn't all bad. Maybe someday we should visit it, together."

"…" '_Together… Yeah… that would be nice…_' Riku smiled, and nodded as plans began to form in his head.

* * *

"Damn that Tsunade… I can't mold chakra well and my entire body stings like hell. DAMNIT!"

"And you're always bragging about how great you are… LAME-ASS!"

"Shut up!" Jiraiya swung angrily at Naruto, who easily dodged.

A short distance away, Kabuto fled, knowing that Orochimaru would be interested in the new complications… and in knowing that Naruto was near.

"By the way, Shizune, what exactly did Tsunade talk with Orochimaru about?"

"Eh? Orochimaru's involved!?" Naruto exclaimed.

Larxene froze from reading a book on Land of Fire History. "Orochimaru…" she gritted her teeth.

"I… wanted to believe in Tsunade-sama… That's why I didn't say anything earlier… We don't have much time! 'We have to get to Tanzaku Castle!"

* * *

"So… Tsunade… What's your answer?" Orochimaru asked.

* * *

"The answer has to be NO!" Naruto growled as Shizune told them what happened. "I'll go ahead!" Naruto opened a portal of darkness. He passed through, coming out of a portal several yards away, and opened another, repeating the process of viewing areas ahead of him and warping to them.

* * *

"I will… heal your arms, in exchange for you keeping them off the village."

"Very well," Orochimaru answered quickly, a smirk on his face. "Now then… Shall we begin?" He walked up to Tsunade, about to put his hands in hers, until a kunai flew in between them. Kabuto stood on the wall surrounding the ruins of the castle.

"Eh? …I can't believe… you'd come so far… just to betray me… Tsunade!? To try and kill me…" Orochimaru's eyes were wild now. He took a moment to calm himself as Kabuto started to walk towards Orochimaru. "But I trust you, Kabuto… I can't believe you'd do this, Tsunade… trying to kill me… I was really going to bring your beloved ones back… I even promised not to attack Konoha!"

Tsunade looked at the ground, tears welling up in her eyes. "Heh… don't lie to me, Orochimaru… But… I… I wanted to see them… even if… just once more… But the moment I felt that… I realized just how much of a fool I really am… I wanted them back… but not like this. Thanks to that brat… I remember their dreams… The dreams… they bet their lives on…" Tsunade looked at Orochimaru. "All things that have shape eventually decay. You said that, but this feeling I have… It won't decay! And because of that… I'll protect the village for them!"

"So… The deal is off… a pity…" Orochimaru sneered. "Now we'll have to force you to do it. Kabuto…!"

"Ri-!?" Kabuto was hit hard from behind as Naruto punched him in the back of the head. "AGGHHHH!" Kabuto hit the other wall, leaving small cracks in it. Naruto landed behind Orochimaru.

'_Larxene… He's all yours._' Naruto closed his eyes as his body changed and he retreated into his heart. In whirl of darkness and lightning, Larxene appeared, Organization coat fluttering in the wind.

"That trick again…" Orochimaru muttered.

'_That's…_' Tsunade stared at Larxene. '_But… she's been missing for years… We assumed she had died from Orochimaru's experiments… And how is Naruto able to…_'

"'I think you'll find this isn't the same trick, Orochimaru-_sensei_…" Larxene hissed the last word like an epithet as drew her weapons and flew, lightning fast, at Orochimaru, two copies of herself appearing beside her. With an upward swipe, she knocked Orochimaru 4 feet into the sky, whereupon one of the copies kicked him towards Tsunade, throwing several knives after him. Tsunade took her chance, removing her jacket and jumping to use her Tsūtenkyaku as the thrown knives hit Orochimaru. Larxene's third copy appeared beside Tsunade, mimicking Tsunade's attack while charging her heel with electricity. Both attacks impacted, leaving a smoke cloud.

The girls jumped away from the cloud, Larxene charging more electricity in case Orochimaru got up. Larxene narrowed her eyes as the clouds faded, and Orochimaru's corpse laid in the center of the crater. '_It can't have been that easy…_' She was proven right as Orochimaru came out from below, wrapping around Larxene.

"Kabuto!" Orochimaru growled as his subordinate got up from the hit Naruto had given him. "Capture Tsunade! As for Naruto… I'll handle him."

"Naruto's not a part of this…" Larxene muttered, warping away from Orochimaru. "This is a fight between a monster and his former servant!"

"Elrena… It really is you, isn't it!?" Tsunade muttered. "But how are you…?"

"Now's sort of not the time!" Larxene replied irritably as she continued her assault.

"Orochimaru-sama, this isn't really the kind of place for a fight like this…" Kabuto suggested as Tsunade nodded and rushed Kabuto. Orochimaru nodded his agreement, barely avoiding the various lightning attacks Larxene was throwing his way. The two fled over the wall, heading to the plains outside of town. Tsunade smashed through the wall as Larxene flew after them, catching up to Orochimaru quickly. She hit her sensei with a brutal diagonal slash followed by several quick punches and kicks. Meanwhile, Tsunade matched wits with Kabuto.

Kabuto vanished into the ground, only to pop up in front of Tsunade seconds later, hitting her thighs with Chakra Scalpels, severing muscles in her legs and leaving her on the ground.

"Chakra Scalpels… why didn't you go for my heart?"

"Why, you don't seriously expect me to be that precise in the heat of battle? However… If I just hit your neck…" Tsunade tried to dodge Kabuto's next attack, but only succeeded in making him hit her chest, his real target. She coughed, blood surging up out of her mouth, as she realized the damage to her respiratory system. "Then again, I can't have you dying on me… but I can't have you moving about much, either."

'_Shit… this guy is no ordinary medical ninja… His skills exceed even my own in my prime…_' Tsunade clutched at her chest, healing herself. '_…but he's far too cocky to beat me!_' She suddenly lunged at Kabuto, knocking him to the ground with a punch to the side of the head.

Kabuto managed to keep himself conscious, and gazed at his opponent. '_Of course… she's no ordinary person, to be able to stand up and fight so quickly… or maybe, I wasn't able to cut deep enough because her fat breasts got in the way?_' Kabuto mentally joked to himself. '_But I won't be defeated so… eh?_' He looked down. '_My leg… I'm trying to move my arm, but instead…_' He was interrupted by a punch by Tsunade to the face. "AGH!" He struggled to get up, mind moving at a mile a minute. '_It's my nervous system… she's disrupted my nervous system. And now she's taking the time to heal her wounds…_'

Tsunade worked furiously to heal the damage to her lungs, having already dealt with her legs so that she could use them. '_I just have to make sure I won't collapse and stop breathing in the middle of all of the fight…_'

Kabuto, too, was trying to find a way to get out of his predicament. '_Okay… calm down. I try to move my right arm… and my left leg moves… okay… Now… Right leg, right shoulder… Hip… Neck… Alright, I've got roughly 80 percent of my body working…_' "Don't fink…" he slurred, unable to move his mouth correctly, "…you can veat me wiff just dat!" He stood up quickly, running around Tsunade. "You're afraid ov blood, right? How avout I show you some now!? I'll scatter just enuff… to scare you into suvission!"

Meanwhile, Larxene was striking like lightning at Orochimaru. "I must say, Elrena, I am quite pleased at this development. I had believed you killed by my Seal, and regretted using such a valuable ally in such a manner…"

"Stuff the bullcrap up your ass, you bastard! You never really cared about me as a person, did you!? I remember… Despite everything the villagers said… despite the knowledge of what you were doing… I trusted you still cared for me… The goals we shared… to find the secrets of the world and unlock them…" Larxene filled her right fist with lightning in a manner reminiscent of the attack she had noticed Sasuke using on an occasion or two, and then adding more electricity to the skill. "…To make the world a better place! But now I see through your lies. All you want is power… and I gave it to you, once upon a time… but no more! Thundaga Rush!" Larxene put her hands together, gathering some of the electricity she had built up into her other hand, and teleported behind Orochimaru, striking him with both hands, piercing him completely. '_I've pierced both his lungs and paralyzed him. You're finished, Orochimaru._'

"Did you think it would be so simple?" Orochimaru's voice queried as he opened his mouth wide. From it came another Orochimaru.

Larxene hesitated before smiling wryly. "…Of course not. But I like it that way. After all… More pain for you means more fun for me!" Larxene smirked as she tore apart the empty skin he left behind, electricity still flowing through her hands. She rushed him again, teleporting behind him at the last second. However, Orochimaru dodged easily, and spun quickly, whipping Larxene with his limp arms. Orochimaru pushed his assault, landing kicks, bites, and slaps. Orochimaru finished by stretching his neck and wrapping it around Larxene, then swinging about, smashing her against the ground and boulders strewn about.

"I'll give you another chance, Elrena. Join me… we can complete my goal together…" Orochimaru let her go and returned his neck to normal length. He knelt before her prone form, and stroked her hair. "Come back to me, my child…"

"…I…" Larxene muttered into the ground. '_I can't believe… that after all I've done… after all the power I've gained… I can't beat him!? Maybe I…_'

"You can quit if you want, Larxene… But I'm not. I'll finish this guy right now! So you can just come back here and whimper, if you've really lost your nerve," Naruto said from inside his heart… Their heart.

'_That's right… These feelings I have now… They're thanks to your heart… I'm just… borrowing it… And it's not fair to you for me to just lay down like this…_'

With some effort, she got to her knees, standing face to face with her former teacher. "…I'm afraid… I can't do that… after all… I'm part of a new group now…" She started to glow with electricity, and a spark from it knocked Orochimaru several feet away from her.

"'Now that's the Larxene we all know…" Axel grinned.

"I am… Number XII… of Organization XIII!" Larxene called out. "Sworn now to protect Uzumaki Naruto from scum like you! And now… you will meet your fate… _XII Limit: Savage Rush!_" Larxene teleported to Orochimaru, splitting into three as she did so. The three of them revolved around Orochimaru at lightning speed, generating electricity. Then, at the same time, Larxene and her copies dove in for the kill, striking Orochimaru in the face, rib, and the back of his knees, firing electricity throughout his body. Larxene and her copies then fled back and made several more revolutions before striking again, this time in the neck, under his armpits, and in his feet. The copies vanished, and Larxene jumped back a few feet before making one final dive at him, slashing him with her claws and knocking him into a boulder a yard away, shattering it in the process. Larxene smirked. "That's it… I'm done… the rest… is all you… Naruto!" Larxene relinquished her control, and Naruto collapsed where she once stood. He got up with a bit of struggle, and grinned at the work Larxene had done. Orochimaru laid in the rubble, obviously unable to fight any further.

"Damn… that takes a lot out of me… but I can still fight… Now, I've got to help the old lady!" Naruto turned around, and noticed Tsunade on the ground, horrified at sight of Kabuto's blood spilt all over her face. "And just in time, too!"

"Hm?" Kabuto looked to see Naruto cracking his knuckles. "He… defeated Orochimaru? Even though he was heavily handicapped, it's quite amazing that he won… But it looks like he's on his last legs. Still, it will make an interesting addition to my ninja info cards…"

"Hey, old lady…" Naruto grinned, darkness swirling about his hands alongside his chakra. "Remember our bet… no Shadow Clones being used in this one…"

Jiraiya arrived as Naruto started to run towards Kabuto. '_What is… Is this the Darkness Riku spoke of? He's using it to mold his chakra, instead of using a Shadow Clone… And not only that…_'

A solid ball of Rasengan formed in Naruto's hand as he began to speed up.

'_The darkness… is merging with Rasengan… Is this… elemental manipulation…?_' Jiraiya gaped openly. "Holy shit."

Naruto went at full speed, as Kabuto stepped back, ready to dodge. "Whad an idiod… attacking me like dat, so loudli…" He sidestepped Naruto's attack mere seconds before he hit, only to be surprised when Naruto opened a Portal of Darkness, warping behind Kabuto.

"Take this! RASENGAN!" Kabuto was hit in the back with Rasengan, which drilled into him, with waves of darkness pulsing from the ball, searing him. Naruto gave one last push, sending Kabuto flying several yards, engulfed by the Rasengan and the Darkness behind it. "Heh… heh… got you…" Naruto collapsed, the last of his strength spent.

"Ugh…" Kabuto struggled to stand, leaning against the boulder her had crashed into. '_He tricked me… He came at me so loudly he'd be sure to get my attention as part of his plan… He moved behind me, knowing I'd be focused on a frontal attack… Ugh, I'm still not able to control my body so well… Still… I seem to have outlasted him…_' He slowly crawled to Orochimaru, and checked him. '_This is… his snakeskin… filled with pulverized stones!?_'

"'No need to worry, Kabuto. I'm fine," Orochimaru said, coming out from the ground. He had multiple cuts, and his clothing had several burns, but otherwise he looked ready to continue. "I must say, he has grown quite powerful. But it doesn't matter. I will have him…" A snake came from Orochimaru's mouth, and from its mouth, a long sword came out. Orochimaru flung himself at Jiraiya, seeking to deal with him first.

'_That's…!_' Jiraiya moved to dodge, and took a cut to the side regardless. Orochimaru saw his chance, and moved to take Naruto, only for Tsunade to block him.

"I've had just about enough of you!" Tsunade roared, landing a punch to Orochimaru's face. Orochimaru glared at her.

"Tsunade… That boy is mine… 'Don't make me kill you…"

"That's what you're going to have to do… because I'm betting my life on this kid," Tsunade growled.

"So be it…" Orochimaru swung his sword at her, cutting her down.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cried out. Orochimaru closed in on Naruto, only for Tsunade to block again, taking Orochimaru's blade to her chest doing so.

"You're not getting your hands on him…" Tsunade said, punching Orochimaru again and keeping him at bay.

"Tsunade…" Jiraiya murmured in awe. '_Has Naruto affected you so greatly…?_'

Tsunade flashed through hand seals, a series that Shizune, unfortunately recognized.

"No! Tsunade-sama!" she shouted in shock. "I'll heal you! Don't release your seal!"

"_Infūin: Kai!_" Tsunade shouted, and the diamond mark on her forehead unraveled, flooding her system with stored chakra.

"_Ninpō: Sōzō Saisei!_" Before Orochimaru's stunned eyes, Tsunade's wounds began to heal, steam rising from the visibly sealing cuts. Not even scars remained.

"Amazing…" Orochimaru muttered. "I see I'm not the only one with a new trick… May I ask how it works?"

Tsunade thought for a short moment, then smiled. "No, just know that because of it, I won't ever die in battle." As she spoke, she reached up to dab some blood away from her chest area with her thumb, then started to make another, more familiar set of seals.

'_Creation Rebirth…_' Shizune thought to herself. '_Using the chakra she stored in that seal, she causes her cellular division to accelerate, replacing the lost flesh and regenerating her wounds… But there's only so many times a cell can divide before it burns out… Every time she uses it, it shortens her lifespan…_'

'_This is bad…_' Orochimaru realized, fleeing back to Kabuto, who wiped some of his own blood onto the tattoo on Orochimaru's arm. Jiraiya also bit his thumb, working through his drugged state to make the same series of seals. Finally, as one, the three Sannin of Konoha pressed their bloody hands to the ground and called out:

"_**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**_"

* * *

_"This is it… get ready, Katsuyu!"_

_"You'd better prepare at least 100 sacrifices for me, Orochimaru!"_

_**Next Time on XIII Ninja: Battle of the Sannin! The Summoned Bosses Appear!**_

_"Today… is the last time there will be three Sannin of Konoha!"_

_

* * *

  
_

Shadow: (Addicted to Pokèmon Gold and Silver)

Harry: "Told you. Oh, James, I thought you were comatose."

(The Author is playing Dissidia) "I got better. Sorry, folks, The story continues!"

Shanttotto: "Pokèmon Wizard, the tale of a brat with a scar on his head, is next. Better be quick, James, or it will be by your fans that you're hexed. OH~hohohoho!"

(The Author is staring at Shantotto) "So awesome. My head is exploding from the awesomeness of her visage. I'll see you all later."


	32. Battle of the Sannin

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Naruto © Kishimoto & Shonen Jump

Kingdom Hearts © Square Enix &Disney

Soul Calibur © Namco

— **FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, THE FOLLOWING AUTHOR NOTES HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY RECORDED. **—

Shadow: "Welcome back, everyone! Hey, James, say hello to your readers!"

"…Wait, what is Shinji doing?" (gapes at TV, then panics and covers Manaphy's eyes.)

Naruto: "Why… Why…"

"Damn right you're fucked up! Get this guy a bullet to the head, STAT! Seriously, I paused in playing the now-completely free Fusionfall for THIS?"

Shadow: "Uh, guys, the Fanfic…"

"What the crap is this! What the crap, man! She's, like… In a coma or something! That's just… Agh! Son of a… Seriously!"

Shadow: "…You know what? I'll handle it. On to the Fic."

* * *

"Heh… heh… Got you…" Naruto collapsed, completely drained of his chakra. '_That'll teach him to underestimate me…_As he started losing consciousness, he noticed his comrades coming to him, and beyond them, a blurry figure he could only assume to be Kabuto looking towards Orochimaru's corpse…

'_W-what the…!_' Naruto could only watch numbly as Orochimaru, the one Larxene had pushed herself so hard to kill, come out of the ground saying something to his subordinate. After a short chat, something came out of Orochimaru's mouth – '_His special sword,_' Naruto reminded himself – as the snake master launched towards Jiraiya. '_Come on, mouth, move! Warn Pervy Sage!_' Using all his effort, he moved his hand towards the oncoming threat.

Naruto wasn't sure if Jiraiya had noticed the warning, but he certainly noticed Orochimaru in time to move away from the attack, only to get a small cut in the process. Naruto knew the sword had some sort of poison, and wondered if the old man would be alright. Orochimaru turned on a dime towards Naruto, only to be stopped by Tsunade.

_'That old lady… She lost two of her loved ones right after giving that necklace to them… I can only imagine how I'd react to Hinata, Llednar, and Riku-sensei being killed…'_ He looked inward on himself and the Organization. _'Or if you guys were to get hurt because of me…'_

Within his heart, Larxene laid on the ground, barely aware of her surroundings. Axel stared at her.

"To have outlasted Larxene's ultimate attack… He's definitely stronger than Sora was back at Castle Oblivion, even without his arms…" Axel sighed. "Will she be alright?"

"She'll be fine, after some rest…" Xemnas muttered, lifting her up and floating to her chair on the outer perimeter of the platform. He placed her there, and came back down promptly. "She was pushed to her limit, but she hasn't faded."

Naruto looked outside of his body, where his consciousness was fading even further, despite his struggles against unconsciousness. He couldn't make out much visually, and everything he heard was so muffled.

"That's… have… be…" came what sounded like Tsunade.

Orochimaru replied, then struck her down with his sword. Tsunade got up again to be stabbed by Orochimaru's blade. A voice from outside of Naruto's fading vision cried out a protest as Tsunade made almost indiscernible motions – hand seals – and activated a Jutsu, healing her wounds. Orochimaru marveled at her technique, and after a short conversation, Naruto finally lost consciousness, feeling his entire body going numb…

* * *

_Battle of the Sannin! The Summoned Bosses Appear!_

_

* * *

_

"_**Kuchiyose no Jutsu**__!_"

The earth shook as the clouds from the Summoning Jutsu filled the battlefield. Jiraiya smirked from atop Gamabunta.

"Ah, Katsuyu, Tsunade, good to see you after so long… Can't say the same about you, Manda, Orochimaru." Gamabunta rumbled. "What, you planning some kind of reunion, Jiraiya?"

"No. I need you for a tough job. We're going to kill Orochimaru, once and for all… Can you stall him for me?"

"You're not thinking of…!"

"That's right. Tsunade's already exhausted and is taking care of Naruto, and I'm not doing so well either. I'm going to have to go all-or-nothing here…" Jiraiya smirked as he placed his hands together, preparing for another technique.

Tsunade looked behind her, to Naruto, who lay on Katsuyu's back. She knelt and began doing what she could for Naruto's injuries, and restoring some of his Chakra. "Katsuyu… guard me as I'm healing this one."

"Of course, Tsunade-sama."

"What were you thinking, Orochimaru, summoning me to this dump?" Manda growled. "Do you _want_ me to eat you?"

"I'm sorry, Manda-sama, we'll thank you generously later…" Kabuto replied, having finally regained full use of his body.

"Fine, but I'm expecting at least a hundred human sacrifices after this!" The snake looked at Gamabunta. "Ah, Bunta… I'm sure you're going to make for great toad jerky…"

"You know, this is perfect. I've always wanted a snakeskin wallet…" Gamabunta smirked back, his webbed hand reaching for his blade.

"So, Jiraiya… No inane babbling about me being evil, and how whatever that happens to me now is my own fault?" Orochimaru taunted. "Or are you so scared that you can't even speak?"

"…" Jiraiya stood perfectly motionless, focusing his energy. _'You just said it all yourself! After today, there only be two Sannin!_' He quickly made several handseals, starting another summoning Jutsu.

_'What is he doing…?'_ Orochimaru thought to himself as Manda lurched towards Gamabunta, rending the earth in his wake.

"_**Zesshi Nensan!**_" Katsuyu spat a glob of acid in between Manda and Bunta, and the snake boss was forced to pull short to avoid it as Bunta leaped into the air, sword drawn. At the same time, Jiraiya leapt from Bunta's head, finishing his summoning in midair.

Manda moved back to avoid Bunta's downward thrust, only to notice something else coming down at high speed. Jiraiya landed on Manda, the impact slamming the giant serpent's head to the ground, kicking up a large dust cloud.

"W-what the hell?" Kabuto gasped as dust obscured his vision. From within the clouds, two voices bickering could be heard.

"Dammit, boy! It's always the same thing with you! Calling us into the middle of a battle, with nary a howdy-do!"

"Don't say that, Ma! Jiraiya-chan must have his reasons!"

"Sorry, Pa…" Jiraiya's voice finally came. "But I don't have much of a choice right now. I'm in a bit of a fix right now, and I need to end this fight quick! Promise I'll make it up to you later…"

"Alright then, let's go." The dust clouds finally blew away, revealing a change in Jiraiya's appearance. His hair had grown longer, warts had appeared on his enlarged nose, and he had grown a beard.

Orochimaru stared at Jiraiya's new form. "W-what?"

"It's over, Orochimaru. Your ambitions end here and now." Jiraiya launched at Orochimaru, who quickly dodged and redrew his sword. "Is that how you're going to play?" Jiraiya spit up a scroll, unfurled it, and summoned from it a large, almost fleshy sword with chain attached to one corner of the hilt and connected to the bottom of the handle.

_'And here I thought Orochimaru was the only one to spit things up like that…_' Tsunade thought, focused on the fight even as she was healing Naruto. Orochimaru twisted and stretched to dodge Jiraiya's attack, only to end up losing his upper chest, shoulders, and head to Jiraiya's slashing attack The upper half fell from atop Manda's head, and Jiraiya launched after it, all too aware of how Orochimaru liked to slither out of his skin as a substitute. However, he had the wrong piece, and Orochimaru emerged from his lower half, launching at Tsunade in order to attain his prize. As he slithered up Katsuyu, the slug created growths on her side to capture, engulf, and suffocate Orochimaru, but he simply pierced them with his sword.

"Tsunade-sama!" Katsuyu cried out in warning as she made one last attempt to engulf him with a 20-foot wall of slug flesh, which moved to cover him. This time, she succeeded, and Orochimaru was driven deep into Katsuyu's body. Tsunade kept healing Naruto, making sure to keep an eye on the area around her. However, it was from below her that Orochimaru burst out of Katsuyu, and Tsunade was forced to dodge backwards to avoid Orochimaru's attack. Now, Orochimaru was between them, with Naruto lying just behind Orochimaru.

"It's over, Tsunade…" Orochimaru sneered as he wrapped himself around Naruto, lifting him up in the only way he could without his hands. "Naruto-kun is mine…"

"He'd never serve you!" Tsunade replied, standing to fight him.

"I have my ways, Tsunade… I've already made arrangements with a friend of mine who will be only too happy to pay me back after the information I've given to him and his organization…"

"What are you…?"

"I daresay you'll meet them soon enough, Tsunade. After all, the thing they seek is in _your_ village… _Hokage-sama_!" Orochimaru mocked. Tsunade lunged, throwing her fist at him as he thrust forward to strike her down. However, Tsunade leaned slightly to her right to dodge the thrust and threw all of the power she had left into one punch into his face. His grip on Naruto loosened completely as he flew through the air and fell to the ground, knocked senseless.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya sent Kabuto flying with a single swipe of his sword before he turned and rushed to Katsuyu; if Orochimaru hadn't been in the half he had gone after, then he must have gone to grab Naruto instead. The hermit smirked. These same foes that had been giving him such trouble before were now so utterly pathetic, thanks to Sage Mode. He wondered why he didn't use this form more often, until he remembered how unattractive it made him look. Not to mention…

"Did you REALLY need us for this, Jiraiya-chan?" Ma asked.

"Well, I—"

"If you're going to be usin' Sage Mode in every tough fight you get into, maybe you should just hurry up and master the thing so we don't have to keep comin' by to stop you from turnin' into a toad!" Pa admonished.

"But I—"

"He won't listen to you, Pa. He's too busy gaping at every hot spring he passes and 'researching' for that silly book he writes to do something sensible like that!" Ma chided.

"That—"

"Now while I do understand you enjoy your lifestyle, Jiraiya-chan, you may want to take some responsibility and improve yourself!" Pa advised.

"Cou—"

"It's _because_ of these interruptions that I can never get around to cooking dinner!"

"Hey—"

"After all, it's your duty to train the Child of Prophecy! Don't you think that's a bit more important than your books?"

Jiraiya just gave up and sighed as he reached Tsunade, already back to healing Naruto. She glanced up at the two toads, who were both chewing out Jiraiya.

"Could you have those keep it down, Jiraiya? It's breaking my concentration. Hello again, by the way, Fukasaku-sama, Shima-sama," Tsunade muttered. "Better yet, Jiraiya, head down and see if Orochimaru's still alive. If he is… Rectify that," Then she turned back to healing Naruto.

Slightly stunned by her terseness, Jiraiya could only nod dumbly, blocking out the two elder toads even as they continued to bicker. He jumped down from Katsuyu's back, landing next to Orochimaru's corpse. He prodded it with his sword, only to find that it was another snakeskin.

"I hate when he does that…" Jiraiya muttered as the toads finally stopped talking.

"I take it you knew him?" Pa asked. Jiraiya waited, as though he expected Ma to chip in and interrupt him. Hearing no such interruption, Jiraiya nodded.

"Part of my old team, back during the Second War. Turned S-class missing-nin after Sensei passed him over for the title of Fourth Hokage. Believe it or not, he was actually handicapped today, had his arms sealed so he can't use them anymore, and even then he was still dangerous. Not that I was much better, thanks to a drug screwing up my chakra control. Had to scrape by until I could gather enough chakra to summon Bunta and the two of you. I… actually don't think I'll be able to fight him, if he comes back and Sage Mode gives out on me…" Jiraiya sighed as he sat down, focusing on gathering Natural Energy.

"And the boy?" Pa asked.

"…I honestly don't know. He might be the Child of Prophecy the Elder Toad Sage was talking about, all those years ago. Not sure. I had two other students before, a long time ago, and I thought _they_ might have been the Chosen One as well… They're both dead now, one from the war and one from saving his village from the Kyūbi. I'm honestly not ready to say for sure if Naruto actually is the Chosen One, but… It's possible. After all, he is my second student's son…" Jiraiya laughed sadly. "Not sure if I'm ready to believe in another kid so soon, though. Both his predecessors had obvious potential, but this one? He's a snot-nosed brat."

Meanwhile, Tsunade gasped as Naruto woke up slightly.

"Hey, Granny…" Naruto grinned, reaching up for the pendant hanging from Tsunade's neck. "How'd I do? I win the bet?"

"Most young ninja tend to look like that at first glance, Jiraiya-chan," Pa replied seriously. "_You_ looked like, the first time we first saw you: Just some other no-name tadpole with more mouth than sense. But now you're Jiraiya, the Toad Hermit of the Sannin, and the one that's been prophesized to teach the one who'll bring peace to us all."

"Peace or destruction," Jiraiya corrected, weariness and fatigue creeping in as the adrenaline faded.

"I'm sure you'll make the right choice, when it comes," Pa smiled.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Now that I think about it… There's something about Naruto… That his old teacher, Riku, told me… He… has the ability to make people open up to him… To change their lives for the better with just his words and sometimes his fists…"

Tsunade lifted the necklace from around her neck, tears forming in her eyes as she smiled. '_Alright. Just once more…_' She put the necklace on Naruto and kissed his forehead. "You win… I'll come back with you to Konoha…"

Jiraiya looked up to the sky. "Maybe he is the Chosen One…"

* * *

Orochimaru snarled in anger. Not only had he failed to capture Tsunade, but he couldn't capture Naruto either…

"By your expression, I assume you weren't able to get this… 'Naruto' person?" Orochimaru looked up at the man before him.

"…" He didn't need reminding.

The man laughed. "As long as he still lives, little else matters. You seem to be good at getting what you want, one way or another… And when you do, I'll be sure to repay our debt to you."

"Of course," the infamous traitor smiled oilily. "In fact, I've already made preparations. My Sound Four will be able to retrieve him, even as they come for Sasuke-kun…" The greasy smile turned inquisitive as he eyed his 'guest'. "That said, how long until you go after _your_ loose end?"

"While soon, it is not I who will be dealing with this. There is a relatively new recruit who will be more than suitable for the task, I believe… He is on assignment elsewhere, however – another 'loose end', as you put it, that he also happened to be best-equipped to deal with."

"Oh? It sounds like this new recruit of yours is quite skilled."

"He is young yet, but the weapon he wields makes resolution far easier to achieve."

Orochimaru was only more interested by this statement, so he pushed further. "And what sort of weapon would that be?"

"It is…"

* * *

"Ugghh…" Naruto got up and shook his head. '_Man, I hope I don't make a habit of fainting all the time… It really sucks._'

"You're awake, I see," Jiraiya muttered.

"Gah, Pervy Sage! I saw Orochimaru coming to attack you! Are you alright!"

"I'm fine." Naruto looked about, and noted that he was back in their room at the inn.

"What happened?"

"Tsunade and I fought Orochimaru, forced him to flee. I would have killed him, but when he decides to get out of somewhere, he's out."

"Larxene won't be happy to hear that…" Saïx noted.

"No duh…" Axel grumbled. "There won't be any living with her for weeks!"

"At any rate," Jiraiya continued, "our mission's complete. We'll be heading back to Konoha."

Naruto grinned. "I can't wait to see Hinata-chan and the others again."

"Good for you, cause our ship leaves in about an hour."

"Wait… Our ship?"

* * *

'_Not the pervert again!_' Naruto thought in horror as they walked up to Al-Cid.

"It is good to see you again, Naruto, Jiraiya…" Al-Cid looked to Naruto's right and noticed the newcomers to Naruto's party. "Ah, and you must be Tsunade-hime and Shizune. I must say, my lady, you are every bit as beautiful as I have heard… Not a beautiful sunset I've seen that compares with you…"

Tsunade smiled. "It's nice to meet someone with a bit of class, Al-Cid-san."

'_Class?_' Naruto asked mentally. '_You just didn't get the same first impression I did…_'

They walked onto the ship, and Naruto felt himself drawn to an old man aboard the ship. He wore a large yellow coat that only emphasized his pale skin, and his white beard and his hair went down to his knees. Despite his age, he was quite energetically throwing a ball to a small weasel wearing a green collar with a red amulet hanging from it. However, the man seemed equally drawn to Naruto as well, as when Naruto looked at him, the duo stopped their play and gazed at Naruto, as though sizing him up. Naruto suddenly clutched his heart, shrinking back slightly as the old man's eyes bored into him.

'_What is this? I'm feeling so tense…_' The old man eventually returned to being jovial, and walked up to Naruto. Naruto stepped back, and the man laughed.

"Hello, young one, no need to be shy! Would you be interested in joining us in our game?"

"I was actually just about to warn you to stop," Al-Cid cut in. "You would not want to lose that ball when the Airship takes flight, would you, Indra-sama?"

Naruto shook himself to his senses. '_It's just an old man, maybe a veteran ninja or something… So why am I freaking out about him like this? It's a worse sensation than anything Orochimaru or those Akatsuki guys have ever provoked… It's like… I shouldn't be near him…_'

The Kyūbi growled softly, as though it had the same feelings.

"Ah, that's too bad; I think the fiery youth of a kid like this would make this a far more amusing game!" Indra sighed, then perked up and placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I guess you wouldn't be interested in talking, would you? Certainly, the girls on this ship are nice enough, but I've heard their tales far too many times."

"Uh…" Naruto looked to Jiraiya, obviously asking for help in his gaze.

'_What's got Naruto so skittish?_' Jiraiya wondered. He shook his head. '_It's probably nothing._'

Naruto sighed inwardly and looked to the man before him, and grinned as happily as he could. "Sure, I guess, It's not like I can do much training on this thing while it's in motion, anyway. The name's Uzumaki Naruto! Keep it memorized, old man, cause it's the name of the future Hokage!"

"Naruto, hmm… I daresay I will, future Hokage-chan!" The old man laughed at Naruto's indignation. 'There, that got him less tense.' "I am the traveling sage extraordinaire, Indra! You may call me Ojii-san, if you wish!" The weasel, which had climbed up onto Indra's head, squeaked. "And this is Carby!"

"A pleasure to meet you, Ojii-san, Carby." Naruto let the small creature jump onto his head, climbing down onto his shoulder to rest there.

The man closed his eyes, as though trying to remember something. "…Ah! I just remembered! I met an Uzumaki-chan years ago."

"What?" Naruto gaped.

* * *

"What!" Xemnas dropped the orange book he had in his hands to the floor.

* * *

'_What?_' Jiraiya overheard the conversation. '_Did he know Kushina?_'

"Yes, a young Uzumaki-chan from the Land of Waves? No… It was the land of Waterfalls… No, no… I know it was water-related… Ah! The Land of Whirlpools! It was that spunky young girl who I had to pull off that ninja trio from Konoha. Quite a frightening girl, hm! I'd never have imagined she'd have a kid, she was so unpopular with the boys because of her temper."

Jiraiya snorted as quietly as he could. He remembered that incident. Minato had said something that implied that she was "too masculine"…The poor fool had ended up in the hospital with a broken arm and several bruises for it, and his teammates had laughed at him until she got on them for not backing up their friend, and they got beaten up too. Jiraiya cringed.

She had been a violent, mischievous girl, but grew into a beautiful, even-more-mischievous woman. He almost envied Minato.

Jiraiya didn't specifically remember who had stopped that fight… But this man had been there… He wondered if Naruto would put two and two together. '_Probably… I guess I'll have some explaining to do…_'

* * *

Naruto, meanwhile, found that his mind was racing, with the help of the Organization.

Zexion rummaged through the various books and scrolls, pulling out a file. "Here! Uzumaki Taifūgan, from the scroll Axel found… It looks like he had a sister, though there's no other info on here than that… This is the only Uzumaki with a file in here, other than you."

Lexaeus frowned. "You don't think she may have been… y'know… 'disappeared', and they just screwed up on wiping that one record?"

Marluxia crossed his arms, screwing his face is thought. "It may be that she was a deep-cover black ops specialist… or a spy for the Land of Whirlpools… or one of the Leaf's own that went rogue." He himself well knew the lure of power, having betrayed the Organization alongside Larxene. "Perhaps that's why you were chosen for the Kyūbi Host… as payment for her dishonor?"

Axel laughed. "You guys are getting yourselves worked up for nothing. Why not ask the elders of the village about it? That'd set the record straight."

"If one of those theories were correct, though…" Xemnas shook his head. "Any questions with interest in Naruto's parentage might raise some form of alarm. Naruto, in their eyes, might potentially try to walk in her footsteps, and with something as powerful as the Kyūbi…"

"He'd have the power to go through with it. They might even fear a Sephiroth-type incident," Roxas muttered conspiratorially. Axel was about to ask what exactly a 'Sephiroth-type Incident' was, but Roxas stopped him. "Naruto might lose his mind at finding out some truth about his birth, and try to destroy everything." He glared at Demyx. "Hey, don't laugh, it's happened before. Where do you think it got its name?"

"I'm sorry, it just sounds silly. Naruto getting mother issues, heheh."

Naruto considered his options, and looked Indra in the eyes. "Did you know her any more than that?"

Indra laughed. "Trying to get dirt on your parents, eh? I'm afraid I can't help you with that, future Hokage-chan."

"Actually… I don't know them. That's why I asked."

Indra sobered at Naruto's tone. Had they died when the boy was young? Or left him? "Ah. I apologize… I only knew young Kushina-chan for a few days; I am a migratory old geezer, and I never set eyes on her after I left the Land of Whirlpools."

"Don't lose heart yet, Naruto," Xemnas muttered. "Maybe he remembers what she looked like. It could be that she is in these records under a different name…"

Naruto relayed the question to Indra, using his own words. Indra smiled.

"Why, yes, I remember her appearance, though she was your age at the time. She had red hair past her shoulders, and almost purple eyes, that sparkled with mischief, like a fox plotting its petty schemes… She seemed to like the color blue in her clothing… and she seemed to always have some paint or some such on her, fresh from one prank or another. Ohoho…

"You don't have the paint (unless those marks on your face are from some prank you pulled), but you definitely have that spark in your eyes… When you're not moping like you were a minute ago, that is." Indra laughed – a common occurrence, it seemed – as Carby licked Naruto's cheek.

Naruto brightened up, and the two moved on to other topics. Naruto spent many hours talking to Indra about his best pranks (for Indra had been certain that one like Naruto would have pulled at least one)…

"The entire monument? I've seen it once, and I know it'd be difficult to paint something like that, especially with so little time."

"It was easy. I'll show you a picture later…"

* * *

His comrades…

"…Llednar's a bit odd sometimes, and really stiff. But once you get past the makeup on his cheeks and the hat, he's a great guy to be buds with. Then there's Riku-sensei…"

* * *

And his "family," as it were…

"…I was there, right alongside him… And I couldn't save him…"

"It's hard for humans to accept the loss of people so close, future Hokage-chan. But you mustn't chide yourself for his defeat."

"But… If I hadn't froze up… If I hadn't let that bastard manipulate me… I'm sure I'd have been able to deal with him…"

"And what did your friends, and Hinata-chan say about it?" Indra asked.

"Riku-sensei and Iruka-sensei told me that he died as he would have wanted to: protecting the people precious to him. They said that our hearts are connected and that not even death can change that… Hinata… Well, to be honest, I haven't had very much time to talk with her since then. I left on this mission only a few days after the funeral, and we were both busy with fixing the village and other stuff like that."

"Ah, that's unfortunate. Maybe you should arrange a meeting… a date, so to say?"

Naruto blushed. "A date! But—" Naruto suddenly ceased his protests as soon as he started them. There wasn't a real reason they couldn't date. They were at that age… They'd known each other for so long, and were pretty comfortable together… He was pretty sure old man Hiashi wouldn't strike him down for even thinking about consorting with his daughter… "…Huh." '_Whoa, wait. Did I just use "consort" in my thoughts?_'

* * *

Axel leered at Xigbar. "What was that about never talking about a certain something again?"

Xigbar sighed. "Just watch. It will never have anything to do with anything ever again. EVER."

"Well… I guess I could do that… No harm in trying."

* * *

However, all good things come to an end, and the Airship arrived near Konoha.

"We cannot land in the village proper, of course, as it would cause a ruckus, and we would have Konoha's security upon us in seconds," Al-Cid said as the ship touched ground. "Now, Naruto-san, Jiraiya-san, Tsunade-hime, and Shizune-hime, although I am filled with sorrow by your departure, I take solace in the belief that we will meet again."

"I also hope to meet you again, Future-Hokage-chan, though when I do, I expect to be able to refer to you as just Hokage-chan. Your current name is a bit of a mouthful for an old man like me." Carby squeaked his farewells as well, and the ninja disembarked from the airship and walked the distance to Konoha.

* * *

"Naruto-kun's back!" Hinata gasped as she looked up from the scroll Anko had assigned her to read. Neji nodded.

"I was helping with the rebuilding process near the gate when he entered my Byakugan's range. He is likely in the village as we speak." He closed his eyes. "I expect Hiashi-sama will be interested in this information as well, as will Gai-sensei."

"And Llednar-kun…" Hinata noted. "Go. Tell your sensei; I will inform Father and Llednar." Neji nodded and walked out of Hinata's room, closing the door behind him. Perhaps it was becoming a Chūnin giving her a sense of responsibility, or perhaps it was the strain upon her patience caused by Anko's training, but Neji had noted that Hinata had developed a tone similar to Hiashi-sama's "clan business" tone: quiet, yet horrifyingly dangerous underneath, even as he praised his listener.

* * *

It had been almost a full month since Naruto had left Konoha. Yamashiro Aoba had been skeptical the boy would even be able to find Tsunade, even with Jiraiya's aid. She was, after all, in her fifties already, an elderly person by a shinobi's standards, and it was entirely possible she may have died from old age. Even if she still lived, Tsunade was well known to be a wily and slippery opponent, able to her change her appearance to trick pursuing debt-collectors. It would, quite simply, be difficult nearly to the point of impossible for anyone, much less some kid, to find her, let alone convince her to return…

Which is why when he had reported to the gate for guard duty, Aoba had never expected Naruto to simply walk in with mission complete, THE Tsunade-sama following willingly behind him. The Slug Mistress had a grim look on her face as she surveyed the damage caused by Orochimaru's assault.

"…Shizune, head to the hospital immediately. Tell them that under the new Hokage's orders, you are to be put to work in whatever endeavors you can be useful for, from most urgent to least urgent. I expect to hear nothing but good things about you when I arrive. Understood?"

Shizune nodded.

"Then you're dismissed." Tsunade walked, unflinchingly, to the Hokage Tower, Naruto and Jiraiya following behind her. Naruto noticed more than a couple stares as they walked down the main street leading up to the building, and noted their hushed discussions. As far as he could tell, most people were no doubt chalking Tsunade's return up to Jiraiya, rather than him. He wondered if they'd ever believe she'd actually come back simply because she had lost a bet, whether he could actually wield a Jutsu the Fourth Hokage had created.

Probably not.

* * *

"Naruto has returned?" Llednar raised an eyebrow. He had faith in Naruto's skill, true, but to find a woman as elusive as Tsunade in only three scant weeks? Had they given up? Did Jiraiya send him back to the village? "Were there others with him?"

"Neji-niisan did not say," Hinata replied. '_He's back… He's home… But for how long? What if Riku-sensei sends him away again? Maybe… Maybe I could go with him? No. What would be the point of promoting me if I were to be sent away immediately afterwards?_'

"You seem troubled."

"It's just… I… Naruto-kun will be going with Jiraiya soon."

"If Riku-sensei's request goes through."

"Yes. If it does, I want to go with them. To back Naruto up," she added a little hastily.

Llednar smiled. "You cannot stand the thought of losing him."

"…Yes."

* * *

"Tsunade-hime!" Koharu, one of the village elders, stared at the new Hokage as she stepped into her office.

"Good to see you too, old hag," Tsunade smirked as she sat in what was to be her desk.

"Mission accomplished!" Naruto grinned.

"We had a little trouble with Orochimaru," Jiraiya added. "But we still managed to get Tsunade to the village. She's also agreed to become the new Hokage."

"I see…" Naruto noticed a new presence enter the room. It was another old man, probably a war veteran, if the scars, massive amounts of bandaging, and missing eye and arm were anything to go by. "I am honored to bear witness to the installation of the Godaime Hokage."

"I see you're still around, Danzō." Tsunade said mildly, with the tone of one who was trying very hard not to curse in public. "It would be an honor to work with you." '_Yeah, right!_' was left unsaid. It didn't need to be.

"You should be careful, Danzō-san." Naruto said, and Danzō looked warily down at him. "A darkness as potent as yours could easily decay and consume your heart."

Danzō frowned derisively at the Kyūbi's container. "Surely you remember that a shinobi must kill his heart to be truly useful. I have nothing to worry about."

'_No, it just means there's nothing left to be able to stop the darkness… You've already done its work for it,_' Naruto thought, but chose not to say. This man… Naruto didn't like him one bit. He gazed about at the many eyes focused on him. They of course expected him to answer, to retaliate. He smiled, but there was no mirth in the smile. "If that is what you believe, Danzō-san…"

Koharu coughed. "Now, Tsunade-hime, we must call the Daimyō and announce the Godaime has been chosen. We will also need to prepare the official inauguration ceremony…"

"Ugh, how troublesome…" Tsunade muttered.

"Tsunade!" Homura admonished.

"Fine, fine. I get it. This is also the Hokage's job…"

"Genma, Aoba…" She called in two Tokubetsu Jōnin. "You'll be issuing an official notice to the village. We only have a few days to prepare this. Understood?"

"Yes!" The two ninja left as quickly as they came.

* * *

"How the heck do they do that?" Axel asked.

"Trade secret," Larxene smirked.

* * *

Tsunade walked out the door, and to the stairs below. "So, until then, I'm just gonna…"

"Oi!" Naruto growled. "There's still something you need to do!"

"Hmmm?" Tsunade tilted her head in confusion.

"Didn't I tell you about Riku-sensei and Bushy Brow and Llednar's mom?"

"Ah… yes, I do remember… How—"

"—Troublesome… Why do we have to deliver this paperwork again?" Shikamaru asked irritably as he walked up the stairs.

"We have to keep the village informed about the status of our— oh, Tsunade-sama! It's good to see you again!" Shikaku, Shikamaru's father, bowed to Tsunade.

"Well, well, if it ain't the Nara kid. How are your deer?"

"Doing well. In fact, we were just delivering a status update."

"Good, those antlers are quite useful in making medicine…"

"What's her deal?" Shikamaru asked Naruto.

"Oh, she's just the new Hokage."

"Wh-what!" Shikamaru paled.

Naruto looked him over. "Hey, you've got a Chūnin vest! What's up with that?"

"Oh, I was promoted."

"Whaaaa! Man, a lazy guy like you, a Chūnin? What were they thinking?"

"I don't know, but—"

"Well, we're off!" Tsunade announced, and Shikamaru sighed as Naruto moved to follow her.

"Right! To the hospital!" Naruto grinned. "See ya, Shikamaru!"

* * *

"So you're Naruto's sensei, hm? I'd have expected a lot more out of you…" Tsunade sighed as she healed the remainder of Riku's Tsukuyomi-inflicted wounds.

"Sorry about that…" Riku sighed. "Tsukuyomi's a rough technique…"

"Don't make excuses, Riku!" Anko grinned.

"Right, right, won't happen again."

"Right, now for Bushy—"

Gai plowed through the door, causing everyone to jump.

"Please look over my disciple, Rock Lee!"

Tsunade sighed. '_Still the same as he was as a kid…_' "Coming, coming…"

A few minutes later, Tsunade walked with Lee into a room. She looked him over. "…Naruto, I know where the Twem complex is. But don't you have other things to do?"

"Eh? Oh, right! I gotta go see Hinata-chan and Llednar, and see how Sasuke's doing, and…"

Tsunade smiled. "Then you'd better get moving."

"Right!" Naruto saluted, and warped away with his Portal of Darkness.

'_Right, now that he's gone…_' She started to examine Rock Lee's legs and back.

* * *

"Hey! Hinata-chan!" Naruto called out. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I have, too," Hinata smiled. '_Same old Naruto-kun…_' "So… how did your mission go?"

"Great! The old lady is at the hospital right now, tending to Lee… And she says she'll be headed to the Twem complex once she's done." At that, Llednar shifted slightly, and Naruto knew that his teammate had been quite worried. "So, what have you guys been up to… Eh!" Naruto noticed Hinata's Chūnin vest. "You got promoted, too! Nice, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata smiled. "I was surprised, too." She put her hands behind her head, blushing lightly. "Though, the special training Riku-sensei assigned for me… I could live without."

"Special training?" Naruto asked. "What are you learning? Some kind of awesome technique? Show me, show me!"

Hinata blushed. '_No. Way. In. Hell._' "It's… um… I mean…"

"It was special espionage techniques," Llednar said. "Anko-sensei has been teaching her, and I was assigned to aid her. I am sure that you will also be assigned, so you will see soon enough." Hinata blushed even more brightly at that. "More importantly, tell us about your mission."

"Oh, right! Well, we were running all over the Land of Fire, checking every town, and then I helped these guys at a show, and…"

* * *

Llednar returned to the complex, and walked over to check on Lady Remedi. He let a small smile escape his lips. Naruto had brought the greatest of medical ninja to the village, so things would be fine…

"…I see. It is too late, then?" Llednar stopped just outside of Remedi's chambers.

'_Too late? What…_'

"This is something Orochimaru concocted… as a poison, it's really insidious, even for him. It infects slowly, and in its early stages, I could remove it with little damage to the organs. However, once an area is completely infected, the only way to fully cleanse it from the body is to remove the infected parts of the body. If that had been done, early on, we might have been able to get away with just the arm, but now…"

"Now it has most of my vital organs. Unfortunate."

Llednar carefully, quietly stepped back, away from the door.

"Worse than that, once it the organ is infected, the poison actually drains chakra away from the organ in order to cause it to rapidly decay. Death in this case would actually be caused by septicemia, the decayed organ poisoning the rest of the subject's blood, more than anything else," Tsunade made a grimace of disgust. "I honestly can't think of many more horrible ways to die."

"I see. How long do I have left?"

"…I'm afraid I can't say. I'm sorry."

Llednar had long since left, heading back out into the village.

"…Poor Llednar. I do not believe he expected to become the new head of the Twem Clan so early in his life."

"So that boy was Naruto's comrade. He's quite composed."

"To the normal eye, perhaps he is. We are normally far more reserved… That he left so hastily shows his distress. Such a show of emotion is odd for one like him. I believe it is due to Naruto-san, or one of his other comrades…"

Tsunade sighed. "That Naruto… he's something else. He's the reason I came back, you know."

"I expected as much. I have not met the boy face to face, but Llednar tells me about him, the things he does, how his other comrade reacts to him… Most recently, he has been preoccupied with something his sensei said."

"Hm?"

Remedi closed her eyes. "Riku-san, he says, is showing a great deal of fear for Naruto's life, due to a group called Akatsuki. They hunt him for the Kyūbi within him, and Riku-san believes it would be wise to send Naruto away from the village, to have him travel the world with Jiraiya-sama."

Tsunade frowned. "If you see him, you can tell him that won't happen."

Remedi raised an eyebrow. "I think he would be pleased to hear that."

* * *

Rock Lee stumbled a bit as he walked home. Regaining his bearings, he thought back on what Lady Tsunade had told him:

_"It is best that you seek out a different path. At best, this operation has a fifty-fifty chance of success. If it fails… __you die__."_

Rock Lee grit his teeth. '_If it fails, I die… If I do not do it, I cannot be a shinobi any longer… _'

_ "Today, you have all become Genin. As your new sensei, I want to hear your goals for the future!"_

_ "I don't feel like answering," Neji, the class genius replied. "It's pointless. Whatever fate has in store for me… I shall follow."_

_ Lee raised his hand high. "I…!" Gai nodded for him to continue. "I want to prove that even without Genjutsu or Ninjutsu, I can be a grand shinobi! That means everything to me!"_

_ Gai smiled approvingly. Neji, however, seemed to be trying hard to not roll his eyes. He gave a small laugh._

_ "Hey, what is so funny! I am serious! Even with just Taijutsu, I will be a truly spectacular shinobi!"_

_ "Don't you realize that without Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, you're not a ninja in the first place?" Neji laughed scornfully. "Don't you remember that you're the first person to graduate from the Academy with just Taijutsu? It's not because you're so good; It just means that you're unusual."_

_ "W-why you…!" Lee glared into Neji's eyes, but after a short while backed down._

_ Gai smiled. "Listen up! If you have passion, compete with good rivals, and push each other forward, you can all be great ninja, regardless of what you have or don't have!"_

_ Lee smiled adorningly at his new teacher._

_ "Of course, you have to work hard to do it!" Gai laughed and gave the group a thumbs-up, his smile lighting up the world._

'_That's right… Gai-sensei… he inspired me on that day… but…_'

"Here you are!"

"Gai-sensei?" Lee asked. "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Lee… How about we go chat for a bit?"

The two of them walked over to a bench.

For several minutes, both of them remained silent, with only the sounds of the night surrounding them. Finally, Lee spoke.

"You know, when I first became a Genin… you told me that we could succeed in fulfilling our dreams, if we just acted with passion, and had rivals who could push us forward… you said it would take effort… I was really happy to hear that…You know? No one had ever said that sort of thing to me before. You gave me a new path just when I was unsure of myself. I realized that all I had to do was try my best."

Gai nodded, knowing Lee would continue.

"And when I complained that all my effort couldn't match others' natural talents, you told me that I had a natural talent for effort. It was then that I learned the importance of believing in myself…" Lee started to cry. "But now… Even if I try my best… Even if I believe in myself… there's nothing I can do! Gai-sensei… What should I do! Please…"

Gai was silent, and let his student continue to let his pain out. Finally, after Lee's cries started to fade, Gai opened his mouth. "Lee. If you want to be free of this pain in your heart, prepare yourself!"

"Prepare myself? For what? To give up? Is that it?"

Gai shook his head. "If you lose your dreams… You will undergo pain greater than ever before. Neither of us would be able to go on if we lost our Nindō. What fools we are… Lee, have the surgery!"

Lee stared him for a long time… and then smiled. "You know, when you and Kakashi-sensei were competing in Rock Paper Scissors?"

"Yes," Gai smiled in return, gesturing for Lee to go on.

"He said that luck was one part of your skill, right?" Lee wiped what little tears were left from his eyes. "This surgery is fifty-fifty. Live… or Die. But it is not Rock-Paper-Scissors."

"Do you remember what happened after that, Lee?" Gai asked.

"That's right… That was when you first told me about the 'self-made rule,' right?"

"You surgery will be a success. No doubt. If in the one-in-a-million… No, one-in-a-_billion_ chance that something goes wrong… I will die with you!"

"Eh?" Lee gaped.

"Ever since I met you, my Nindō has been to train you into a grand shinobi. I promise."

Lee closed his eyes. Gai had said it himself: Neither of them could go on without their Nindō…

"Gai-sensei!" Lee hugged his teacher, his tears falling anew.

"Let's go… Lee!"

"Yes Sir!"

* * *

Sasuke panted as Naruto stood opposite him. His new Chūnin vest had been ruffled up during the sparring, and Naruto had a couple of tears in his outfit.

Hinata sighed. Naruto was going to need a new set of mission clothes at this rate. She made a mental note to take him shopping for something new. Perhaps something a little more durable… with more pockets for weapons…

Naruto grinned. "Hey, Sasuke, you ready for another go?"

Sasuke growled incoherently as he straightened up for another round. '_When the hell did he get so strong?_' He charged, not bothering with clones or other tricks; he already knew Naruto would be able to sense him. He let off a _Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu_, the miniature fireballs concealing the handful of shuriken he had thrown at the same time. Naruto smirked and jumped over the flaming projectiles, warping behind Sasuke as the Uchiha followed it up with a _Gōkakyū no Jutsu_ aimed to get Naruto while he couldn't move in the air. A conventional tactic… for a shinobi.

'_Except conventional tactics don't work on him!_' Sasuke thought furiously as he hurled a backhand strike behind him, only for Naruto to catch it. Sasuke spun around, and activated a Genjutsu. Naruto "felt" himself being tied up by the grass beneath him. Naruto grinned.

'_Well, this is kinda cheating… But isn't that what being a ninja is all about?_' he thought as he called up Xigbar, the disruption of Chakra caused by the merging effect canceling the Genjutsu. Naruto teleported into the air, standing upside down there as he shot at Sasuke with relentless accuracy.

"Gotcha now!" Naruto teleported into the trees, merged his guns, and started to fire relentlessly. Sasuke dodged, and even knocked a shot back at Naruto. "Ow…" Naruto detached his gun and teleported back into the open. Sasuke charged, and Naruto laughed. "You think a full frontal assault is going to work? As if." Naruto teleported again, appearing on the opposite side of the clearing. Sasuke growled.

'_He teleports away from long range attacks… I can't get close enough to use my fists… and I can't get eye contact…_' Sasuke smirked, jumping to dodge one of Naruto's shots. Sasuke threw a kunai at the air above Naruto, then more forcefully threw a second kunai to change the first one's direction. Naruto only barely noticed what he was planning in time to shoot the kunai away. Then Naruto noticed the giant fireball heading for his blind spot. Naruto cursed the eye-patch he was wearing, then smiled and dodged.

"Clever little sneak…"

Sasuke grimaced as he was rewarded with a bunch of energy shots. '_That should have worked… Is this power… why Itachi wanted Naruto?_' Naruto turned back to normal, and helped Sasuke up.

"It's getting pretty late. I'm sure old man Hiashi will let me have it if I keep Hinata out too late, dattebayo! So I'll see you later, ok, Sasuke?" Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan, and frowned.

'_If that's the case… I must overcome this power to prove myself to him!_'

* * *

_"As our manpower is so low, I have no choice but to split you up to handle different missions. I expect you all to do your best!"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Chūnin, Split up! New Missions!**_

_"Understood!"_

_

* * *

_

(James the Fox is sitting in a chair, looking utterly traumatized. Manaphy is next to him.)

Shadow: "That… was one of the most fucked-up things I've ever seen."

Naruto: "Why? Why? Why? WHY?"

Hinata: "Hey, everyone, ho— What happened?"

"I know… I know I've let you down… I've been a fool to myself…"

Manaphy: (Points behind Hinata as James continues singing.) "Rei. Rei. Rei… REIREIREI RUUUUUUNNNNN!"

Hinata: "Wha—" (Hugged by Rei, turned into LCL.)

Naruto: "HINATAAAAA! NOOOOOOOO!"

Shadow: "Oh god, James' Author Powers have caused Instrumentality. RUUUNN!"

James: "It just keeps TUMBLING DOWN TUMBLING DOWN TUMBL—" (Instrumentalitized)

Manaphy: "MAAAMAAAAAAAA!"

Shadow: "Oh Shi—"

— **TRANSMISSION LOST —**


	33. Chūnin, Split up!

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Naruto © Kishimoto & Shonen Jump

Kingdom Hearts © Square Enix &Disney

Soul Calibur © Namco

Shadow: "Where is that DAMN Armory! And who makes an armory that teleports every 30 seconds and change passwords every 10 seconds! DAMNIT JAMES!"

Manaphy: (Crying)

Naruto: "Why? Why? Why?"

Link: "Hey Shadow, what's up?"

Shadow: "No time! Run NOW!"

Link: "What do you me-oh, hey Zelda, good to s-" (Glomped)

Shadow: "FFFFFFF-" (Reipwned)

Naruto: "Wh-" (Tanged)

Manaphy: (Sniffles, and is comforted by Rei. IT'S SUPER EFFECTIVE! Manaphy has been tanged.)

Rei: (Glances at security camera) "On to the fic."

* * *

_The moon rises, its reflection visible in the pond of the palace garden. A woman with long blond hair cascading down to her waist stands at the water. Her dress is the black of mourning, for she has lost something her heart could not go on without. Red markings below her eyes only served to brighten their cerulean hue. Her face, pure enough that it alone granted her the title of most beautiful woman in the world, was only marred by her tears._

_"Oh my hero, my beloved, shall we still be made to part? Though promises of perennial love yet sing here in my heart?" Her voice rang out. "I'm the darkness, you're the starlight, shining brightly from afar. Through hours of despair, I offer this prayer to you, my evening star: Must my final vows exchanged be with him and not with you? Were you only here, to quiet my fear… O speak! Guide me anew!"_

_"Come! Dance with me, Maria!" Maria turned around in shock, gazing upon her beloved._

_"Draco!" She ran to him, taking his hands in hers. A Ninja of the Land in the West, who had fought and presumably died in battle against the Mightest of the East's Samurai: Prince Ralse. But he was here now! He smiled, placing his hands at her side, and they danced. Maria closed her eyes. "Don't ever leave me…"_

_"Maria-hime!" Maria jerked up, turning to her most trusted aide, the emerald-haired handmaiden, Demeter. "Please, come with me. Ralse-sama has been seeking his bride-to-be. Please, the past is the past… We must move forward. This castle is part of the East now."_

_"But Draco is-" Maria turned around, only to find nothing where her beloved once stood. Had he run away? Or was she simply imagining things? "… In a moment, Demeter-chan."_

_

* * *

_

_**Chūnin, Split up! New Missions!**_

_**

* * *

**_

"… Moving down the list," Koharu stated, "One of our Jōnin has request to send one of his students on a long term training mission."

Tsunade sighed. "And who will train the rest of the team?" She scanned the room. All of the clan heads and the Jōnin Commander, Shikaku Nara, were present for this meeting. Even Remedi, despite her worsening condition, had arrived. Tsunade noted that for all her composure, her skin had paled, and her hands were trembling.

"We have been told that he has assigned your old teammate, Jiraiya, to watch over the boy while he trains, so that will not be a problem." Homura replied, not even looking up from the timetable.

"I see… So this kid is good enough to merit attention from Jiraiya the Toad Sage? Then why are we even considering sending such a promising student, let alone him AND one of our strongest ninja period, off duty, when we're in such a crisis? We don't have even half of our power from a few months ago, and we're sending every able shinobi we've got on missions. You want to stretch our numbers further? Deny that request, and slap the idiot who made it. Next?"

"Tsunade-sama, shouldn't you put a little more thought into such requests? Surely there is a good reason for such a request, or the Jōnin wouldn't have made it." Akamichi Chōza asked. "Not that I'm arguing, but you struck that one down pretty quick."

"Well, I was made aware of this request yesterday, and I've had time to think on it."

Koharu raised an eyebrow. "And you've taken into account ALL of the circumstances?"

Tsunade smiled. "Why, yes, I have. Or is there something you aren't telling me?"

"This student happens to be the Kyūbi Jinchūriki, and a threat to our safety." Danzo stood from his seat and stared Tsunade in the eye.

"Oh? How do you figure?" Tsunade stared right back.

"Your predecessor, the Third Hokage, fought Orichimaru, allegedly alongside the Jinchūriki. But we believe that it betrayed the Third, and worked alongside Orochimaru. It seems that the Third realized he was wrong to trust it, and incapacitated it and drove off Orochimaru, costing him his life."

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. "Oh! I heard a totally different story. How odd that Jiraiya would lie to me about something like this! Maybe he is conspiring against me as well. Of course that would mean that Naruto directly fighting against Orochimaru a couple days ago was a hallucination, or perhaps a Genjutsu weaved by Jiraiya… So, either Jiraiya is lying to me, or you are. And I absolutely hate liars, Danzo." Her expression hardened. "I don't want this request brought up before me again, not when we need every shinobi we have. Speaking of which, I have my own proposition concerning Naruto."

Shippo, head of the Inuzuka Clan, tilted his head. "A proposition?"

Tsunade nodded. "I'd be interested in seeing him promoted to Chūnin rank."

"What!" Choza gasped. "I've seen Uzumaki Naruto before, he's an utter fool! I don't think he'd make a good leader at all!"

Tsunade nodded. "I've seen that in him as well. But have you ever seen him in battle? Discipline is a great talent for a leader, but it can be attained through practice, and flexibility is even more invaluable, especially in a ninja's case. When a situation becomes serious, he is quick-witted, and seems capable of changing his strategy on the fly. If Naruto can inspire that kind of thinking in his subordinates… Well, we'll just have to see."

"I second this proposition," Hiashi said. "Naruto is a bit simple-minded at times, but I cannot argue that he will be a negative force on our Genin. He's already had amazing effects on his teammates, and I know for a fact that one of our other newly minted Chūnin would not have gotten as far as she did without him pushing her on. Added to the fact that he has met our promotion requirements for this year, (that is, he has advanced to the second round of the Final Exam, and shown great skill doing so) and battled against Orochimaru and come out more or less on top at least once, I would speculate that he will make a fine Chūnin."

Remedi coughed lightly, covering her mouth as she did. "I also recommend Uzumaki, and have seen the effects of his influence on the shinobi he serves with." She looked at her hand, and stood to leave. "Now, I have other matters to attend to."

"You may leave, Lady Remedi." Tsunade looked across the room. "Any other comments?"

"I see no reason not to add Uzumaki-san to our list of Chūnin." Danzo said after a brief hesitation. "If he is capable, then we have a skilled shinobi for others to look up to. If not… It will be as you said, Hokage-sama: we'll just have to see."

"Then the motion to promote Uzuimaki Naruto to Chūnin has passed," Koharu announced, writing down the developments as she did. "Is there any other matter that needs to be discussed? … No? Then I move to adjourn for today."

"Movement seconded."

* * *

_"R-Ralse-sama! The ninja of the West… they've…" the shinobi guard fell, dying before he hit the ground. Ralse, a man in his early thirties wearing regal but functional robes, brought his hand to his katana._

_All at once, the dance was under attack. Shinobi arrived, throwing various Jutsu of all natures throughout the newly-made battlefield. Maria looked about, but still heard her lover before she saw him._

_"Maria!" Draco landed in a clearing near the thrones. All battle ceased around him._

_"Draco! I knew you would return to me, my love!" Maria stepped forward, but was blocked by Ralse's Katana._

_Ralse clenched his hand around the cup of sake in his left hand. "Shinobi of the Western Lands! You would address my queen to be, Maria?" He crushed the cup. "You insolent rouge!"_

_Draco drew his katana, and unlatched the windmill shuriken from his back. "Never shall you have Maria's heart! I would die before that day comes!" Shinobi from the East surrounded Draco, but Ralse signaled for them to back away. Draco likewise had his shinobi stay their hands and get out of the way._

_"Then we duel."_

_The two charged forward. Draco threw his shuriken ahead of him, and jumped above it, augmenting his Katana's cutting power with Wind Chakra. Ralse deflected the Shuriken, and sidestepped Draco's wind sword. Ralse smirked, using his momentum to spin around and strike Draco's back, but his smile turned into a look of dismay as the Katana broke against his armor. "Ugh, your armor may be strong…" Ralse jumped back, throwing his sword's hilt to knock Draco's Katana from his hands. "… But my love for Maria is stronger than anything else!"_

_Draco grit his teeth, trying not to acknowledge the pain caused by the short blade had pierced the back of his hand. "Hah… This is nothing! Take this: Fūton: Kaze no Yaiba!" Wind swirled around Draco's good hand, and he charged, ready to defeat his opponent. Ralse thrust his hands into the ground, using his chakra to meld the earth to his hands. "Maria-what is she to you?"_

_Ralse blocked the attack and countered with a punch to Draco's face, sending him flying and leaving him reeling with a bloody nose. "Do you even have to ask!"_

_Draco smirked as he wiped the blood away and grabbed his katana, which he again infused with wind. "Then I guess we've no choice but to fight! But Maria is mine! I am not about to lose!" This time, he clashed with Ralse, and his Katana sliced away the earth around Ralse's hands, and knocked him down. Ralse moved to get up, only to find himself at the tip of Draco's blade. He stared down it, and contemplated attacking anyway, but finally laid back down, accepting his fate._

_"I yield. This day is yours, Draco. Curse you, should you let Maria go." He closed his eyes, awaiting the final blow, but none came. He opened his eyes, and found that Draco was extending his hand to him. Ralse accepted the hand, and Draco helped him up._

_"Peace then, for you have my word; with me she'll know nothing but peace."_

_Ralse looked to Maria, tears in his eyes. "Maria! Maria! I love you so…" Maria smiled with pity, knowing how it felt to lose one that was precious to you, from her days without Draco. She shook her head, and Ralse tore his eyes from her, and left with his men. Draco walked up to his lover and Princess, and bowed before her, but never losing eye contact with her._

_"I am thankful, my beloved, for your tenderness and grace." Maria smiled, kneeling to be equal to him. "I see in your eyes, so gentle and wise, all doubts and fears erased! Though the hours take no notice of what fate might have in store…"_

_"Our love, come what may, will never age a day! It'll last forever more!"_

_THE END_

"That was amazing…" Hinata said, smiling. "I thought it was just hype at first, but Darkness and Starlight: the Ballad of Maria and Draco really was that good… What did you think, Narut-" She stared. Naruto was crying openly.

"It's… It's so beautiful, how their love prevailed over Ralse! They went through sooo much, but they never gave up! Just like me! Plus Draco was awesome with his Ninjutsu. Man, I wish I could be like that someday!"

"I personally think that except for Naruto bawling like a baby, this date is a total success!" Xemnas crossed his arms.

"As if." Xigbar grinned. "It's not a real date unless there's no chaperones."

Roxas sighed. "And why is that?"

Xigbar smirked. "Because the chaperone ruins the fun!"

Axel nodded. "Yeah. Getting in close with your girl, wooing her… you can't do that when someone's going to report to daddy saying you got fresh with his daughter…"

Demyx shrugged. "It wasn't that bad…"

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me? Neji is such a killjoy. I mean, look at him!"

"… And that's why I believe Demeter, as a servant to Maria, was the truly admirable one. She stuck to her duty even in the worst of times."

Axel air-throttled Neji. "See? He's ruining a beautiful movie about romance against all odds with his talk about duty and destiny and blah blah blah BLAH! Come on, man, you're ruining the mood!"

"I guess everyone has something different to take from the movie…" Hinata smiled. "I-I do think it was supposed to be a love story, though."

"THANK YOU!" Axel shouted to the heavens. "Preach it, sister! Let my voice speak through you, Hinata! Don't go ruining the mood of a romance film when the people you're with are on a date! In fact, go home and let this date get REALLY started, got it memorized!"

Zexion was turning his face into a pancake against the nearest flat, solid object he could find which happened to be The Big Book of Horrifying Genjutsu: Compendium Vols. 1 through 4.

Larxene closed her eyes in frustration. "That isn't going to work, Axel."

"Now, what should we do next?" Hinata asked Naruto as they started heading out of the theatre.

"We could go get something to eat… How about-?"

"Stop right there, young man!" Axel screamed at the top of his lungs.

_'What?'_ Naruto asked mentally.

"This ain't a date or anything, but you're still trying to impress your girl. You can't just… you know, take her to some cheap ramen stand!"

_'Hey, Ichiraku's isn't JUST a cheap ramen stand! It's the GREATEST Ramen of all time!'_

"Regardless," Saix muttered, "Axel is right. You should spoil her with the absolute best cuisine you can afford."

"Ah, what does Saix kn-" Axel paused considering Saix's words. "... Oh, wait, he's right. Listen to him, Naruto!"

Naruto thought for a moment. _'Do I even KNOW any other restaurants…? There is that one barbecue place I've seen Shikamaru's team frequent…'_ "- er, Hinata, anywhere you'd like to go to eat? I got a big bonus for my last mission, so I'll pay!"

"Erm… There is one restaurant just down the street that just got repaired; it's supposed to be really nice."

"Yeah, I'm fine with that! Just lead the way!" Naruto grinned as he took Hinata's arm, and ran with her in the direction she indicated. Neji sighed.

"A subordinate's job is never done…" Neji ran after them, surprised at how quick Naruto could be.

"Damn, he's chasing us!" Axel growled, sitting in Xemnas' chair, steepling his fingers and wearing a hat similar to the ones worn by Kages, only with the Nobody Emblem on the front. "Evasive maneuvers! Prepare the Shadow Clone Army! Take him down!"

"He's insane," Roxas muttered.

"As if," Xigbar laughed. "He's probably just messing around…"

Xemnas frowned. "Is there a reason that he is sitting in MY chair?"

Marluxia smiled. "That's easy. It's the highest chair, and he has delusions of power. Just indulge him for now, Superior."

Xemnas crossed his arms. "You will not get away with this, Axel…"

"That the place?" Naruto said, pointing at a restaurant ahead. He noted the elaborate décor of roses and various well-kept plants. '_Seems like one of those high-class, expensive types…'_

"I think so, but maybe we should wait for Neji…" Hinata replied, not wanting to get Naruto in trouble with her father. Naruto obliged, and they stopped in front of the restaurant. Naruto looked back the way he came.

"Yeah, maybe we should... heheh… How far back is he?" Hinata activated her Byakugan.

"Not too far, and he has his Byakugan active, too, so he should be able to see us…"

"Okay, so we just need to sit here and-"

"Naruto-kun!" Naruto looked to the rooftops, where Shizune stood. "Naruto-kun, the Hokage would like to see you. It's important that you get there now."

Hinata gulped. _'Has Riku-sensei's request gone through? Maybe… Maybe I can go with… But where would that leave Llednar-kun?'_

"Um, sure, I guess… I… um…" Naruto scratched his head. _'I'm sorta new to this whole dating thing, but… wouldn't it be rude to just leave my date in the dust?' _"So… Hinata-chan… er… I'll be right back, I guess?"

Hinata shook her head. "I'm going with you, Naruto. I think Neji can catch up." Naruto nodded, opening a Portal of Darkness. Hinata signaled her cousin, clearly mouthing "Heading to Hokage Tower, urgent" to him before entering the portal.

Neji, getting the message, growled under his breath. "Never, ever done… and utterly troublesome."

* * *

Tsunade was waiting for Naruto when he arrived, standing in front of her desk. "Ah, Naruto, it's good to see you. Just got out of one of the most annoying parts of this job, the council meeting, and we've come to a decision concerning your status a shinobi."

"A decision…?" Hinata repeated. _'What kind of decision?'_ She noted Riku in her peripheral vision. From her knowledge of body language, she noted that, while he was trying to hide it, he was sulking. _'Did his decision get overturned?'_

"Okay, Naruto. As you know, our numbers have been heavily depleted by the attack on Konoha by Orochimaru. As such, we have been considering the promotion of several shinobi to positions of authority over their peers. As you have undoubtedly noticed, many of your peers have been promoted to Chūnin rank. They advanced based on their performance in both the Chūnin Exams and in the ensuing battle… Considering all of this, the council has deemed you worthy of the Chūnin Rank."

_'More like _she_ deemed him worthy...'_ Riku mused to himself. _'I'm still not sure, though... Is this really the better move?'_

Tsunade took a flak jacket off of her desk and presented it to Naruto. "Also… Ah, Shikamaru, Shino, Sasuke… right on time." She smiled at Shikamaru's dropped jaw when he noticed Naruto putting on his Flak Jacket. Shino made no discernable reaction to Naruto's promotion, but Sasuke twitched slightly.

"… You wanted to see us?" Sasuke finally asked.

"Yes. I've called the five Rookie Chūnin for your first missions." Tsunade frowned. "We're having to spread our forces thin, so I've assigned you to different missions, performing various important tasks." She looked to Shikamaru, tossing a scroll to him. "You will be working on reconnaissance in the Land of Rice Paddies. We have reason to believe that Orochimaru has influenced the government there, and I expect you and your team to collect information and exterminate any trace of enemy you find. It will not be easy." She tossed another scroll to Shino and to Sasuke. "Shino, you will be on a mission helping someone handle a delicate matter that I believe only you are well suited for. As for you, Sasuke, there's a friend of mine that I want you to help out in the Land of Tea. This is very important, understand?" She threw two more scrolls to Naruto and Hinata. "Hinata, this is a very high profile bodyguard mission. You will be serving as a bodyguard for a celebrity. From the praise I hear from your father, I expect that you will do wonderfully. Naruto, considering your… special talents… I've assigned you a solo mission for the Daimyo himself. Don't make me regret putting you on this mission!"

Naruto looked at his scroll, noting that the seal keeping the scroll shut was emblazoned with the words: "Top Secret, For Your Eyes Only." The Daimyo's official emblem was also apparent on the scroll. He narrowed his eyes. 'Oh man... Oh man, oh man... this is huge… Whatever it is.' he tried futilely to keep his ensuing gulp inaudible.

"Now, all of you are to begin preparations for your mission. Naruto, I expect you three miles away from the village before opening that scroll, and make sure no one is watching. You have three hours to prepare for a long-term mission, at least one or two weeks. Everyone else, review your scroll, gather up your subordinates, and be ready for action in three and a half hours. Good luck."

* * *

"_Oh, man, I've got to fight now! You sent the wrong guy for this one…"_

"_Hah, as if! This place is perfect for you to fight in! Water, water everywhere!"_

_**Hunt for the Traitor: The Maidens of the Beach!**_

"_Don't let him get away!"_

_

* * *

_

Shadow (wearing epic sunglasses): "How the hell did we get out of that mess? I was certain that we all got assimilated."

"Thanks for your help, Kamina, and thanks for the shades."

Manaphy: (Wearing epic shades.)

Kamina: (Pierces the heavens with a single finger) "Remember, Don't believe in me, who believes in you; Believe in you, who believes in yourself!"

Gai: (Manly tears visible under epic shades) "So youthful! Lee, we must train twice as hard to catch up!"

"So, that was fun. I heard there was some kind of remake of Eva going on, Rebuild or something… How about we-"

Shadow: "No. No way. Not happening. Period. We never talk of Eva again. EVER."

Manaphy: "ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWA!"

Misato: "See you next time with another dose of fanservice!"

"… That's my line. Crazy lady."


	34. Maidens of the Beach

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Naruto © Kishimoto & Shonen Jump

Kingdom Hearts © Square Enix &Disney

Soul Calibur © Namco

Shadow: "So… Osama Bin Laden's dead."

Firion: "Good. People like him are why conflict never fades!"

"Still, it's not the end. There'll be someone else to take up the torch of terrorism. After all, Terrorisim is a process born of the human mind. We can't destroy that, only stem the symptoms for a while."

Link: "Have you been watching Evangelion lately? Relax. If nothing else, closure has come for a lot of people who lost their lives ten years ago."

"Yeah. Well then, enough wasting time philophisizing. On to the Fic!"

* * *

Naruto nodded to the ninja guarding the exit to the village, and warped to his old haunt, the Sakura Tree he and Hinata had planted so many years ago.

"… This should be far enough," Naruto muttered to himself, noting that he could sense no darkness aside from his own. He opened his scroll. The mission was indeed important: A General of the Fire Lord's Samurai Army had deserted, presumably with important military secrets, and Naruto was to track him down and capture him, dead or alive. The most recent information stated that the General, Gestahl, was last seen fleeing to the coastline on the east side of Land of Fire, where the majority of the country's ships were ported.

"So he's trying to flee by ocean," Xemnas murmured, a scowl on his face. Axel frowned as well, obviously having flashbacks to Wave Country.

"Alright, it says that the sighting was about a day ago, so he should be almost there." Roxas nodded. "Unfortunately, your average Ninja couldn't get from here to any of the port towns fast enough to keep up with him…"

"But I'm no ordinary ninja." Naruto opened a portal to the border between the Land of Fire and Wave Country. "This is going to be an open and close case." Naruto memorized the picture of Gestahl, and tucked the scroll away, stepping through the portal.

When Naruto emerged on the other side, He found himself standing before the gigantic bridge Tazuna had made, which was currently overflowing with people passing through the area.

"Wow…"

"The Great Naruto Bridge. Quite a story behind it, really," Naruto turned around to seed a caravan. The one who addressed him was in his late 20s, and dressed primarily in blue. His short brown hair was covered by a blue and yellow bandana. "The locals say that it's a symbol of their hopes for the future, but some rich guy tried to shut it down to reduce the amount of trade he couldn't control. Some great hero, a Noodle Ninja or something named Naruto, stepped in and stomped that guy flat. Our troupe is actually here to learn more about it."

"Buh?" Naruto managed to squeak. _'Noodle Ninja?'_

Most of Organization XIII had collapsed a fit of laughter, and even Saïx and Xemnas couldn't hold back a snigger.

"We're performers, you see. You might have seen our recent work, Maria and Draco." The man tapped his chest with pride. "Well, we're looking for new material, and we heard there was a great story here in Wave Country, so we're thinking of turning it into our next big hit."

"Grk!" Naruto remained frozen in absolute shock.

"Oy, Locke, are you just going to stand there!" a blonde woman poked out of the wagon. "Let's move it or lose it!"

"Hold your horses, Celes! Anyway, hope your business in Wave Country fares well!" Locke turned back to the wagon, and left with it into Wave Country.

"Ung… wha…. Huh!"

"I'd tell him not to get a swelled head from the name of the Bridge…" Xemnas muttered. "But the title of Noodle Ninja seems to be counterbalancing it quite well."

'Guuuuyyys…' Naruto whined mentally.

Xigbar had been attempting to pick himself off of the floor, but collapsed again in a fit of giggles.

'Guys, please…'

"It suits him," Larxene smiled. "You are what you eat."

'Oh, come on…'

Axel snickered. "Ha! What's next, an Onion Knight? I mean, what would it even look like?"

Zexion sighed, pulling out a book and showing it to Axel.

"… You're kidding. Pfft… The helmet… So… silly…"

'Guys, let's just get back to the mission.'

Xaldin nodded. "Right."

Demyx gave a thumbs up. "Whatever you say…"

Roxas grinned. "… Noodle Ninja."

Everyone collapsed in another fit of laughter. Naruto sighed.

'This is going to be a long mission…'

Naruto spent the next few hours traveling along the beaches of the Land of Fire, searching for any sign that Gestahl had or hadn't left the country. It was easier thanks to his Shadow Clones; if he saw a ship out on the water, he sent a Shadow Clone. Annoyingly, if the ship was too far away, Naruto would have to check the ship himself, as his clones couldn't go too far from himself without dispelling.

'There has to be a way to make those things more long-lasting…'

* * *

_**Hunt for the Traitor: The Maidens of the Beach!**_

* * *

A day's travel later, Naruto reached a naval base for the Land of Fire, near the location where Gestahl had been seen. The man in charge, Tycoon, welcomed the boy in as soon as he saw Naruto's Chūnin vest and headband. He looked about, noticing the large number of samurai training their craft, always ready for an attack.

"Wow, you guys sure keep yourselves busy, eh?"

"That's right," Tycoon replied. "We have to, if we're to be any match for shinobi invading our shores!" He laughed before turning his attention to elsewhere. "Ah, Naruto-san, I must introduce you to someone." He guided Naruto to a girl of about his age, with pale pink hair. "This is my daughter, Lenna. Lenna, this is Naruto."

The girl gazed at Naruto intently, her green eyes piercing his. A sudden, deep-rooted fear took over Naruto, sending chills up and down his spine as he unconsciously stepped back.

'Geez, she's creepy. What is with me and pink-haired girls? What'd I ever do to them?'

The girl's eyes remained fixed on Naruto's. "You would do well to leave." She intoned. The words echoed in Naruto's ears and heart, and the Kyūbi rumbled in protest. Apparently, it agreed.

'This is just like with that old man... I sense no darkness in her… but…'

"Lenna-chan, that's no way to treat our guest!" Tycoon chided the girl. "I apologize, Naruto, Lenna-chan's usually much better mannered."

Lenna's eyes softened slightly, and she bowed lightly, apologizing for her words and actions. Naruto nodded in return, feeling shaky.

"W-well, she is right in one way. I'm here on business, after all," Naruto said, bowing politely to Tycoon. "I've been searching these beaches for a fugitive, and I was wondering if you'd seen any suspicious activity lately."

Tycoon frowned. "I see. Well, nothing suspicious has happened, but we can send some of our Samurai to patrol the beaches for now, see what we can find. You may be a ninja, but we know the lay of this land better than any man or beast, alive or dead! So please, feel free to stay the night here."

Naruto thought it over. 'On one hand, Gestahl could be getting away with every step…' Lenna was speaking with a samurai, but her eyes were looking past the samurai, still honed in on Naruto.

"This girl gives me the creeps…" Demyx frowned. "Little Miss Sunshine over there looks half likely to kill you in your sleep…"

'On the other hand, Gestahl was said to have last been seen near here…' Naruto continued.

Xemnas nodded. "Something about that does sound off. Does Tycoon know Gestahl?"

Larxene frowned. "Maybe he's aiding Gestahl? If that's the case…"

"You can find a lot of clues and leads as to his destination, then head him off at the pass." Marluxia concluded.

'That'd be dangerous, though,' Naruto countered. He reached out with his powers, sensing the darkness of the beings in the fortress. '… 7… 8… With just under 10 thousand people here at his command, if he decided to do away with me, I'd have one heck of a fight in my hands. And having heard of a samurai's powers… I'm not entirely sure I could win. And if I ran, THAT would give him the chance to warn Gestahl, wherever he is…'

"But not all of them will be here, remember? He's sending his men out on 'recon,'" Roxas said. "We can use that interval to grill him for info. And besides, we can take an Army of Samurai down, the Organization has handled worse."

'… Alright, but I'll hold you to that, Roxas.'

"Aw, man, why'd you have to go and boast?" Demyx frowned. "Now we're going to have to really work for our rent!" Larxene snorted as Naruto agreed to stay the night and accept the help of the Samurai.

"Would serve you right, Demyx! Look at you. Look at all of you, in fact!" Everyone turned their attention to Larxene. "We've just been sitting around, being lumps most days…"

Demyx averted his gaze from Larxene.

"Reading stupid trashy novels…"

Xemnas and Zexion frowned.

"And when's the last time YOU'VE done anything at all, Roxas!"

Roxas looked about nervously.

"Yeah, we've basically been doing nothing for a while, except probably being Naruto's glorified day planner and peanut gallery! We need to get up and grow a backbone!"

Vexen sighed. "Fighting is not the only way to help. In fact, being Naruto's little guard dogs doesn't help at all. We should help him to be self sufficient, so he can defend himself even when we're not here."

Xemnas frowned. "You forget… We will only leave this body to be judged for our second chance at life… once Naruto's has ended."

There was dead silence.

"Geez, that's depressing," Xigbar muttered. "Nice job, Superior."

Xemnas frowned. "I only speak the truth."

More awkward silence. The Kyūbi rumbled below the Organization.

Roxas kicked the dust from the ground. "The truth sucks."

Larxene sat in her chair. She wasn't alone among the Organization: it had been so long since any of them had talked about their Judgment Day. Had they really forgotten about it? She remembered, back then, she had just been in this for the new body, the new lease on life…

Axel laid back on the floor, looking into the void above him. They practically raised Naruto from birth. After so long, of course they'd centered their whole existence on him. It was at the point that when that day finally came…

'… I'm not sure I'll be able to just accept that the little runt is dead,' Luxord concluded to himself, solemnly dealing out another hand to Lexaeus across the table. 'When did we get so attached to him?'

The day passed, and Naruto went through with his plan to press Tycoon, but it was soon obvious that Tycoon wasn't lying. He had no knowledge of a fugitive in the area before Naruto informed him. "I assume this fugitive's escape is being kept under wraps?"

"Yeah, so keep it to yourself, Tycoon-san."

"Well, I'll be turning in for tonight. We'll alert you if we learn anything by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you." Naruto watched the man walk down the steps from the outer wall of the fort. He sighed. "Open and shut case, I said… Hrmph. Just had to jinx it, dattebayo…"

He listened to the waves a while, staring out at the ocean. Another ship had passed by earlier, but it had no one matching Gestahl's appearance. With Hinata's help, he could have confirmed that easily. It was a bit frustrating, not having his team behind him, but at the same time…

'… You know, guys… It's been a long time since things were like this, huh?' Naruto suddenly asked.

"Eh?" Axel tilted his head.

'Since it was just you and me, I mean. I wondered, back then, if I could ever find someone outside of my head who'd so much as look at me without revulsion. But now… Now I have so many friends.'

Xemnas smiled. "I remember those days. To think that someone with such a lonely childhood could make it this far, influence so many lives."

Zexion scratched his chin. "And accrue so many mysteries to himself. We never were able to find out who your father was, or why the Hokage sealed the Kyuubi into you, or even who the hell the Hokage was in the first place."

Naruto nodded. 'Yeah… But I've been thinking…'

Larxene smiled. "Surprise, surprise."

'Oh, quiet, Larxene, please… Anyway, I've been thinking. I've done so much, and helped so many people. Even with the mysteries and the problems and the fighting, I'm happier now than I ever thought I'd be back then. I'm… just content.' Naruto smiled, looking to the stars. Xemnas raised an eyebrow.

'The past that I'm blind to doesn't really matter anymore, compared to the future that I can see ahead. Everything is jus- wait… do you hear that?' Naruto's ears perked up, listening to a faint sound. "Whistling?" He jumped the wall, landing on the rock-studded beach below. He reached out, but aside from the Samurai running around, Naruto didn't sense any other sources of dar- "Wait. There." Naruto weaved through the rocks, wary of any new danger. A couple minutes later, he found the source of the musical sound: It was a man, silhouetted by the moonlight, sitting on a rock and whistling. Naruto noted that he couldn't sense any darkness around this man.

"But then, where's the new gu- Naruto, THERE!" Xigbar called out, as Naruto noticed the man near the whistler, hiding behind a rock, priming himself for an attack. Naruto was faster, jumping out from behind the rock, attacking the would-be ambusher. The man leaped back, drawing a Katana, and swinging it at Naruto. Naruto jumped back, throwing balls of black fire at the man, who cut through them, thrusting his blade at Naruto. Naruto dodged narrowly, but his counter-attack was interrupted by a kick to the face. The whistling had stopped.

'Shoot, I need to end this, and fast!' Naruto warped a few meters away.

"Let me at him!"

Everyone stared at Demyx, mouths agape.

"Did he just volunteer himself?" Axel asked. "The slacker volunteered himself."

"I figure I don't have many opportunities to help out, so I might as well do something when I'm in my element."

'Did my speech earlier get to him?' Larxene asked herself.

Naruto didn't question it, and summoned Demyx's power, the Sitar appearing in his hands. The man gave pause at Naruto's transformation.

"So, a ninja. Very well." The man charged again, feinting to the left at lightning speed. Naruto smirked as he dodged through a portal of darkness, reappearing nearer to the ocean. Naruto played a few chords on the sitar.

"This one's my favorite battle march! Dance, Water, Dance!" At once, an army of water clones appeared around the warrior, who counted by charging his sword with Chakra and striking the Clones down. Naruto kept strumming as the sitar glowed, as did the blobs of water attacking the samurai. "Hurry, Hurry! If you don't beat them before the song's finished…" The clones attacked faster, shifting shape into musical notes, then back again, as they glowed ever brighter. The light grew enough for one to see the warrior's old, battle scarred face, but Naruto didn't see through the vast army of water clones blocking his view. Meanwhile, the song was reaching its climax.

"It'll be your _funeral_ march." Naruto chuckled as water rose from the ground and closed in all at once, trapping the man. "And now… The Finale!" The accumulated water superheated…

But when the steam faded, the man knelt on the ground, panting. Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Not nearly as fast as Sora, but you still managed to kill the last one before the last note was struck. That's quite impressive."

"I cannot die yet… The power of light spoken of in legend must… the World's protectors…" The man got up, mumbling to himself, then ran away, disappearing into the darkness. Naruto considered following him, but decided to turn his attention to the man who had been attacked… only he was no longer there, and without darkness in his heart, he was impossible for Naruto to track. Naruto returned to normal form.

"The power of light?"

"Beings without darkness in their hearts…" Xemnas frowned. "Is he seeking Princesses of Heart? He mentioned the world as well… could he be from offworld?"

"Whoever he is, I'm keeping my senses on him. He doesn't have a lot of darkness in him… but I'll manage. And if he gets caught out there by the samurai, well, that's fine."

Naruto returned to the keep before realizing the implications of Xemnas' words. 'Wait a minute… By Kingdom Hearts, he's a she!'

* * *

The next day, Naruto prepared to leave before he noticed it again. The man from before was coming Lenna, who jumped back, drawing a sword she was carrying. "I'll not have your foul advances, be you the Ninth's avatar, or merely his host." She hissed, keeping the sword's tip at Naruto's nose. Naruto's eyes widened.

"W-what? Avatar? Host? What are you saying?" Naruto asked. He felt a lurch in his heart, even as he maintained his composure.

"Feign ignorance all you like, but I and my sister will strike your fell form down." Lenna's blade touched Naruto's nose, threatening to cut it off.

"Lenna-chan, what are you doing?" Tycoon called as he walked up to the duo.

"This lewd man tried to force himself on me!" She growled.

"Lewd? Wait a minute! I have a girlfriend who wouldn't tolerate me doing that, even if I wanted to 'force myself' on anyone!"

"'What she doesn't know won't hurt her,' right?" Lenna snarled. "I was right not to trust you!"

Naruto's face grew red as he pushed the sword aside and returned her glare. "Please! Even IF I wanted to go behind her back, you're the LAST person I'd want to do ANYTHING with, especially in the romance field! You're rude, mean, and don't even look good enough to make up for it!" Naruto was raving now. "You've been nothing but a bitch since I first met you!"

"You crass little-"

"Now, now, you two, let's calm down," Tycoon said, standing between the two bickering teens. Naruto was seconds away from summoning his claws when Xigbar spoke up.

"Naruto, you thinking getting into a fight with a potential pal when that dude from before is on his way is a good idea? As if. That guy was tough enough to stop Demyx's Flooding Finale, and you don't get many people who can do that alone."

"Xigbar's right. We shouldn't throw away the hand we've drawn," Luxord agreed.

'… _Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. This girl's gonna be the death of me…'_ Naruto calmed down. "Look, I just wasn't looking where I was walking, Lenna-san. I apologize for my clumsiness. Oh, I should let you know: Last night I saw a weird guy attack some girl on the beach. I stopped him, but he got away. I've been tracking him since last night, and I was just informed that he's on his way here."

Tycoon nodded. "A single man won't hold his own against an army of samurai… and a ninja, should you ally yourself with us."

Lenna frowned. "That is not necessary. Like you said, he is but one man. What can he do to this fortress?"

Naruto checked the assailant's location, though it took a few seconds to catch his heart's darkness, so faint and so quickly it was moving. "We're about to find out," Naruto frowned as, in quick succession, one of the watchmen yelled, many arrows were fired, and the fortified door was cut asunder.

The man appeared, moving like a wildfire through the courtyard. Arrows flew futily towards the warrior, who was moving too fast for Naruto to catch a clear glimpse of. The man slashed at one of the samurai, knocking him into the air, then jumping upon the dead man's back in midair, using it as a stepping stone to vault the others, landing between Naruto, Tycoon, and Lenna. The man glanced at the Samurai warrior before charging Lenna and capturing her.

'… _I'm going to have to save her. DAMNIT!'_ Naruto and Tycoon chased the kidnapper, and Naruto warped to block his path out. 'Well, he's obviously up to something, maybe he knows Gestahl." From the angle he was at, Naruto could make out that the man wore cloth to cover his face, something he had foregone the night before. 'He doesn't want to be recognized… a rouge Samurai?' Naruto summoned his claws, sweeping the man's feet. The man jumped the attack, only for Naruto to warp to meet him in midair. "Take this! UZU!" Naruto kicked the man higher into the air. "MA!" A quick warp brought him to the man's backside, and Naruto kicked him again, summoning a shadow clone as he did. He threw the clone at the kidnapper, then warped above the man, diving down. He quickly snatched Lenna away from the Man. "K-OW!" Naruto's clone dispersed, and Naruto fell past the man, feeling an odd cramp in his whole body. He let Lenna go, and she landed with grace while he struggled to land on his feet.

'_Owww… Let's try that again…'_ Naruto warped up to the still falling man, kicking him while grabbing at his face-cloth from behind, removing it so quickly that the man spun in midair. "KI!" Naruto warped again, diving with his claws. "_Naruto Rendan_!" Naruto slashed at the man's face, kicking him to the ground, and landed on all fours. Unfortunately, the man landed fairly well too, and rushed towards the docks, as fast as ever. Naruto gave chase, but hadn't been to the docks, and thus couldn't intercept. As he started to catch up, he saw a vast number of dead samurai, killed swiftly by masterful strokes of a katana.

By the time he reached the docks, the man was nowhere to be seen, and Naruto felt him fleeing far into the ocean on a fast, chakra-powered boat. He could feel him going over the horizon, heading toward the Land of Snow. "Shit. Who was that guy?"

"Vector Gestahl, High Commander of the Fire Daimyo's Samurai Armies…" Tycoon muttered in disbelief, Lenna and a small contingent of samurai following him. "One of the finest warriors our country has… and an old friend of mine. Is he… Is he the one you're chasing?"

"Yeah."

"I recognized his techniques. You should be careful, or better yet, abandon chasing him. During the last great war, he was the Samurai's equivalent to your Yellow Flash: A one man army. I once saw him defeat a thousand men in four and a half minutes with only that sword and the speed he wields. A single ninja like you could never hope to defeat him in single combat."

"… That may be the case," Naruto frowned. "But I was entrusted with this mission by the Daimyo himself. I can't turn my back on that… but…" Naruto looked out into the ocean. "He's out of our borders now, and my mission scroll doesn't have authorization to follow him out there, not without permission from the Hokage or the Daimyo. I'll send the Hokage a message requesting permission, but for now I'm stuck."

"… Feel free to stay here, until you receive your next orders." Everyone turned to stare at Lenna. "What? You were going to offer it yourself, right, father? Consider this a ceasefire: I still hate you, lech."

Naruto frowned. "Um, sure, I accept the offer, and the ceasefire, pending any sort of treaty. But first…" Naruto opened a portal of darkness, and poked through it.

On the other side of the portal was the Hokage's office, and the portal was situated next to Tsunade's desk. The old lady was asleep, her face on the desk, a bit of drool coming out of her mouth.

"Tsk. Well, good thing I'm not the one to have to wake her," Naruto whispered. He took a piece of paper from Tsunade's desk, scribbled the situation and request, put it on the top of her Urgent Documents pile, and slipped through.

Tycoon raised an eyebrow as Naruto pulled his upper body out of the portal. Naruto grinned.

"The old lady's busy right now, she'll read up on it and get back to me." Naruto smiled. "So now I wait."

* * *

Naruto walked on the beach relaxing after a tiring day. He had resolved to work on the problem with his Shadow Clones, trying to make ones that would last longer, go farther, and not disperse in one hit. Any one of these features could revolutionize the use of Shadow Clones, and combined with exploding clones, would make Naruto far more deadly as a Ninja. He alternated between this and one other trick he'd developed thanks to Tsunade's bet with him. Using Darkness to serves as extra hands for the Rasengan's molding heavily increased its versatility. He'd found that he could make the Rasengan flatter, or more spread out. He figured he could shape the Rasengan any way he wanted, with practice. He idly spun a Rasengan the size of his finger, using the darkness to make the attack even denser than it had been before.

"Wait till Riku-sensei sees this!" He grinned as he rammed it into a rock, bursting a large hole in it. "Not bad at- eh?" He perked his ears. "There's that whistling again." Naruto walked back to where he had last seen the whistling woman, and found not only her, but Lenna as well. The two of them turned to face Naruto.

"I see you can't keep your nose out of my business, lech," Lenna frowned. The other girl, however, smirked, brushing away her purple hair.

"I don't see much of a problem, sis. He alerted me to that man last night, and gave me the chance to escape. He's not bad, for a host."

"What do you mean, a host?" Naruto asked.

"You know as well as we do. The Kyūbi rests within your heart. Don't know how it got there, but it's there. The two of us are rather sensitive to spiritual shit like that." The purple haired woman smirked. "By the way, you may call me Faris. I'm Lenna's sis."

Naruto scratched his chin. "I thought you were an only child? Tycoon never mentioned you."

"He doesn't know about me. Lenna washed up on these beaches years ago, and Tycoon adopted her. I've ended up elsewhere, and I don't like being in one spot, so I travel all the time." Faris smiled. "I'm just here to check on my baby sis."

"Don't be too trusting of this one, Faris," Lenna warned. "He may have saved us, but I don't like the sense of him. The darkness, and the void within his heart are off-putting."

"But that darkness and shit isn't him, is it? Met a boy in Suna a month ago, also a host. Pretty nice, and cute, too, but the poor guy just can't catch a break. No one trusts him, 'cept his fams. Most of the hosts just aren't trusted because they have a demon in them, and that lack of trust causes them to be mean, which causes others to distrust them. It's your standard vicious cycle. Best thing to do is to break it."

"That's right," Naruto grinned. "I found a friend, someone I could trust, and trusts me back. That bond was only the start. I met more people, and we came to trust me, and I them. And as long as I have those bonds, I'll do what it takes to protect them, especially hers."

"… You actually love her, then, that girlfriend you were talking about?" Lenna asked.

"Yeah. I least, I think so. I would give anything for her, fight anyone, and endure any pain, so she'll be safe, so she's happy. If that's love, then I love her, for sure."

"Naruto, I'm so gonna take over and tell her you said that when we next see her if you don't," said Axel. "Word for word, got it memorized?"

"As if," Xigbar grinned. "I'll do it first."

The trio continued to talk for a few hours, and Naruto knew he'd formed another bond, as unlikely as it seemed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hinata and her team was forming a bond with another hot-tempered ice princess…

* * *

"_An enemy ambush! Everyone, defensive formations!"_

"_Jyuuken has no effect!"_

"_We'll handle this, right Akamaru?"_

"_Yip!"_

"_This foe is proving troublesome. Llednar, keep your cool."_

"_It's been a while since the Invasion, hasn't it? How's the lady you fought alongside? Enjoying her condition?"_

"_I will not let you escape."_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Struggles in the Snow and Hidden Base! Frustration on all Sides!**_

"_Riku, let's show these Genin what being Jōnin is all about!"_

"_Don't get too excited, Anko. You're only a Special Jōnin, after all."_

"_Details, details… who needs them?"_

* * *

"Yeah, a lot of action next chapter, spanning three teams, and two and a half missions! (One mission will spill over into the chapter after that.) Doesn't that sound fun?"

Naruto: Sounds like it'll take a while.

"Shut it. Anyway, Omake time!"

* * *

Omake: Romeo and Juliet, XIII Ninja Style! Prelude: Gathering the Cast!

"Hello, all." A young man with dark brown hair greeted a mass group of Ninja and Organization Members. "Does anyone know why you're here?"

"Because you're being an idiot, again." Larxene growled.

"No. I'm responding to a fan request to do a full adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, using XIII Ninja Characters. Now, Manaphy is passing you all your scripts, the highlighted lines are yours…"

"I'm Mercutio, again!" Naruto jumped for joy. "Best character in the story."

Itachi frowned. "… Hm."

Tsunade frowned. "I'm Juliet's nurse. Why am I Juliet's nurse?"

James smirked. "So you can be drunk and rave about teats and stuff."

Tsunade brightened. "Count me in."

Sakura sighed. "I'm not Juliet?"

"Nope, you don't fit the part. I want this to be as similar as possible to the play's tale, with the same message, implications, and everything. Count yourself lucky."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I'm… Romeo. Hn."

"The most boring Romeo I've ever seen, but your emo will come in handy."

Sakura looked outraged. "Why am I not Juliet to Sasuke-kun's Romeo? It'd be perfect!"

"Nope. Too different from story."

Sakura cracked her knuckles. "Who is the Juliet, then?"

Everyone looked about, but no one owned up. Or so it seemed. Neji felt a tug on his shirt.

"Eh? ... What… what. This is… unforgivable! Fine. Fine." He lift Hanabi up onto his shoulders, and she raised her hand.

Sakura shrieked. "EEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Yeah, works better that way. Hyuuga and Uchiha have feuded before, and age range between the characters of Romeo and Juliet is about the same. Hinata is Rosaline, Hanabi's cousin and Sasuke's crush until he meets Hanabi, by the way. Neji, you're our Tybalt."

"Tybalt?" Neji asked. "I'm not familiar with the play. Who's Tybalt?"

"Neji, you kill Naruto and then are killed by Sasuke in revenge. It sets off the whole path to Sasuke and Hanabi's unavoidable deaths."

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose. "Unavoidable destiny… Really? I'm over that, remember?"

"Pretend you're not over it. That's what acting is. Any other complaints?"

Everyone's hands raised at once.

"This'll take a while…"


	35. Frustration on all Sides?

XIII Ninja

By James the Fox

Naruto © Kishimoto & Shonen Jump

Kingdom Hearts © Square Enix &Disney

Soul Calibur © Namco

* * *

"Hate to get serious here, I was gonna make a My Little Pony based joke, but I'm pretty sure you've all heard of SOPA and Protect IP by now, right?"

Naruto: "If you haven't, go check it on Google. Do it now. I will not permit you to read ANY further until you've got an inkling of what SOPA and Protect IP are."

"Well, it's hard to explain the whole shebang, but if it passes, chances are this ENITRE site would be taken down, along with Google, DeviantART, Wikipedia, Youtube, TVTropes, and probably every site you all use except for MAYBE your Email. It's meant to take down internet piracy-"

Naruto: "Thus proving why we can't have nice things. Damned pirates. Always steal what we ninja rightfully-"

"-Er, yeah, but the problem here is that while it can easily take down sites everyday people use, internet pirates tend to be a tricky and elusive bunch, and it's likely that it won't even slow them down."

Naruto: "Hell, they already have a way around it, sneaky bastards."

"So it fails at its stated goal and screws over pretty much everyone. Same old same old for the Government nowadays, huh? Still, we have a chance to take it down. Write or call your Representative for Congress and tell them: DO. NOT. PASS. THESE. BILLS."

Naruto: "Great fanfics like XIII Ninja, Team 8, Methods of Rationality, and others are counting on YOU to keep them from becoming homeless. Act now."

"This has been a public service announcement. With that done… On to the Fic."

* * *

_Struggles in the Snow and Hidden Base! Frustration on all Sides!_

* * *

"Everyone else, review your scroll, gather up your subordinates, and be ready for action in three and a half hours. Good luck."

Hinata bid her fellow Chūnin farewell and walked out of the office, opening her scroll. Yuki Fujikaze, one of the finest actors in Fire Nation, was to start filming a sequel to _The Tales of Fūun-hime _in the Land of Snow, and was in need of bodyguards. She and her team were to fulfill this request.

Hinata was amazed by the scroll's contents, having never seen a mission scroll before (Riku-sensei had always been captain, and thus he was in charge of such things). In addition to the standard information Hinata had just read, there were notes detailing all of the possible threats she and her team may face, according to all intel gathered. Hinata narrowed her eyes as she took in a warning concerning the Land of Snow's trend towards isolation from the rest of the world after a coup occurred. Hinata also took heart that the filming crew had already checked ahead and secured permission for the trip, though there were warnings to be careful regardless. Hinata skimmed through the scroll until she found the list of shinobi on the team.

_Captain: Hyuuga Hinata. _

_Rank: Chūnin._

_Missions: 28 D, 1 C, 0 B, 2 A, 0 S._

_Notes From Previous Captains: Cunning when pushed, but lacks confidence. Proficient in Gentle Fist Style Taijutsu, has a close-to-mid-range chakra-compatible piercing weapon. Rudimentary knowledge of elemental Jutsu, medical techniques, and seduction skills._

She reflected on that first word: Captain. A year ago, she'd never have thought she'd ever be listed as Captain… What if she failed here? She'd never be able to look anyone in the eye if this first mission was a complete failure… They'd probably push her back to Genin rank… She gulped, then moved down the list.

_Hyuuga Neji._

_Rank: Genin._

_Missions: 26 D, 17 C, 1 B, 4 A, 0 S._

_Notes From Previous Captains: Precise and cool-headed in the heat of battle, but lacks passion. Masterful Gentle Fist Techniques, close-range focus. Not as skilled in long range. Tendency to belittle opponents._

Hinata hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Neji much since the Chūnin Exams, though they saw each other on the complex. He had seemed a little lighter since then, but she wondered if he'd even respect any choices she made as Captain… Or if maybe he'd be the better leader despite his earlier loss, he'd take control… She shook her head. She'd cross that bridge when she got to it.

_Inuzuka Kiba (Plus Akamaru)_

_Rank: Genin._

_Missions: 21 D, 5 C, 3 B, 0 A, 0 S._

_Notes From Previous Captains: Hotheaded and competitive, but loyal. Skilled almost exclusively in Beast Mimicry. Highly capable in cooperation with other teammates. Usually carries ration pills._

Kiba was a bit of a wild card, skill wise. She knew a bit about the Inuzuka jutsu, but she didn't know how proficient Kiba was at it, which was why she was grateful for the notes from his previous captain. Strengths, weaknesses, everything she'd need to formulate a plan in battle. She was especially grateful for someone so skilled at teamwork. The competitive and hotheaded part… Well, she was used to Naruto at his worst.

_Twem Mid_

_Rank: Genin._

_Missions: 11 D, 2 C, 1 B, 1 A, 0 S._

_Notes From Previous Captains: Mellow and unassertive, good at following orders. Low skill in Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu. Specialized mainly in use of tools. Smart enough to devise basic stratagems, but unlikely to be useful on the battlefield if weapons break. _

Mid, Llednar's older brother. Llednar seemed to believe in him, and he had proved capable against that puppet guy during the exams… But she also heard that he had forced his opponent in the aftermath to perform a suicidal attack (although there's uncertainty as to IF the opponent in question had actually died; no body had been found and Suna refused to comment) to incapacitate him, even though his weapon supplies had been run ragged previously. All things considered Hinata couldn't be sure if that last part about his capability without his weapons was true. She shook her head as she put the scroll in a pocket on her flak jacket.

As she headed to the Inuzuka Clan Compound (the closest to the Hokage's office), she resolved to spend at least some of the time on the way ascertaining the skills of her team, just in case the details on the scroll were outdated…

* * *

Shikamaru sauntered into the Twem Clan base, sighing. Not only was Twem Llednar NOT part of the team he knew inside and out– meaning he'd have to relearn his team's strengths and weakness AND build new strategies around them — but from what he knew of the clan from personal experience and the mission scroll, he was the same type of genius Sasuke and Neji were: prone to arrogance and fighting solo, meaning that he might not take orders so well.

Not to mention the job was to visit the Land of Rice Paddies following a tip about corruption in the area, and mysterious shinobi activity near the border. Hopefully, it would just be your average group of shinobi, but this close to the Land of Fire… it could be connected to Orochimaru, or so the writer of the scroll speculated. This could easily jump from B Rank to S Rank at any time…

… Which meant that he could expect things to be troublesome from start to finish. He wondered (not for the first time) why he accepted the promotion to Chūnin before calling out to a nearby Twem Clan member and asking them to have Llednar come to the north gate prepared for a long-term mission.

At least Choji was also on his list of shinobi on the mission. He could trust Choji.

* * *

_'I hate this mission. I hate this mission. I hate this mission. I. Hate. This. Mission. I. HATE. THIS. MISSION.' _This thought throbbed incessantly in Kiba's head as he carried a drunk celebrity to a room on the boat to the Land of Snow. Now that he's seen her for real, he couldn't reconcile the noble princess he saw on the big screens with the spoiled, drunken brat at the bar…

"_Who would want to b-be an actress? You're… you're gibben lies… written downn on paper… yeh breave life into theemm… Only the lowliest ovva low would want to be an actor…" Yukie, the finest actor in the Land of Fire, slurred, taking another drink. "Therez no way I'm gonna go to a dump like the Land of Snow on top ov that…"_

_Hinata, Kiba's team captain, sighed. "I guess we have to do this the hard way, then?" She asked as she tapped the actress on the back of the neck. It was a gentle tap, but with what Kiba could only assume was the Gentle Fist, it put her out like a light. "Good thing the hard way was still pretty easy." _

Akamaru reassured him with a few barks, and Kiba sighed. "Yeah, maybe she just had a bad day. I'm not exactly excited to go into such a cold place either."

* * *

Meanwhile, Hinata was watching the Land of Fire shrink away, or so the crew believed. In reality, her Byakugan was active, straining to catch any stowaways. She also scanned the sky and the ocean below for pursuers-

"Orders, Captain?" Neji asked. "Or are we just to laze about while you are scanning all over on your own?"

'_That's right! I'm Captain, I should be giving orders to the others! Ummmmm…' _Hinata deactivated her Byakugan as she thanked her lucky stars that Neji couldn't see her face.

" Orders? … I'd, um… I would like to call a meeting with the team." Hinata said, trying not to sound nervous, a feat that was made all the harder since she could feel Neji's eyes on her, judging, gauging… something. "Could you fetch the others while I get a map of the ship? We'll meet in the, um, galley."

"Yes, captain." Neji replied, bowing slightly. As he walked away, Hinata sighed lightly, and then shook her head.

'_Calm down, you're just psyching yourself out. It's just a high-ranking mission that you're leading an untested team through as an untested leader, no reason to freak out, right? I can't read Neji's mind, and he didn't sound too belittling, I was just imagining the JUDGING eyes, right? Right. Okay, I'm calm. Time to get that map…'_

Hinata arrived at the galley 10 minutes later with the schematics for the ship.

The ship was obviously high-class, clean walls, only a few signs of wear and tear. The studio producing this movie had obviously paid top dollar for it all.

Neji, Kiba, Akamaru, and Mid sat at a table in the corner, doing different things. Mid was tinkering with something Hinata couldn't recognize, while Kiba was speaking with Akamaru, with Hinata only hearing half the conversation. Neji was sitting silently in the seat directly opposite the only open seat. Hinata sat there, unrolling the map to address the team with orders to make certain they knew the layout of the ship in case they needed to get somewhere FAST. It was, quite frankly, certain that there wouldn't be anyone sneaking on board of the ship without being seen, she explained, considering the two Byakugans, the impressive senses of smell and hearing Kiba and Akamaru had, and the various monitoring devices Mid had set up as the ship set sail. Therefore, the focus was on making sure Yukie was safe, so Mid and Kiba would take turns keeping an eye on her, while Hinata and Neji took turns keeping their Byakugan active to scan the ship at large. The two shinobi off duty would furthermore keep their senses ready, in case something tripped Mid's security, was heard by Kiba's ears, etc. As she explained her plan, Kiba raised his hand.

"Er, yes, Kiba?"

"Look, Hin-Um, Captain, this is a pretty solid plan, but… why? It's not like some assassin's gonna chase us, and we've already confirmed that no one's on this ship that shouldn't be."

"Er… I…" Hinata frowned, trying to put into words what she wanted to explain.

"It sounds reasonable, since this IS an A-Rank Mission," Neji interjected. "We cannot put anything past any potential threats."

Hinata used Neji's words to buy her time as she collected herself, and continued. "T-That's right. In addition, we don't know what the situation in the Land of Snow is, due to their isolationist policy. For all we know, we could be attacked the moment we enter their waters, or even before then. There is also the threat of pirates, and various sea creatures."

She paused. "In my experience, missions that are C-Rank can easily rise to A-rank due to unforeseen circumstances or secrets kept by the client… The same is possible with A-Rank missions, so we need to be careful. This isn't even counting our situation. The lot of us have little experience, generally not even a year's worth. The only reason we're here is that with the battle at the Chūnin Exam, Konoha is strapped for numbers, and they've had to give difficult missions to people who aren't suitable for them..."

Riku's voice from when she'd been promoted came back to her as she said those words:_"… The village has been devastated. Our numbers our low, and we need everyone we can afford to be out there."_

As Hinata expected, Kiba's reply to that echoed hers. "So you're saying we're not worthy of a mission like this, is that it?"

"No!" Hinata shot back. "Not at all. All it means is that we have to be careful. As I said before, we need vigilance, to make sure we can foresee potential danger and nip it in the bud."

Neji nodded, and Mid seemed to agree (she couldn't tell with how he seemed to be only half-listening to the current conversation about reasons and the like).

Kiba simmered down, now that he knew Hinata hadn't been questioning his skills. _'That's right. Of this team, Kiba is the only one who hasn't been on an A-Rank Mission before. He must have thought the Hokage had picked him because she saw his talents… And I sorta burst that bubble AND seemingly insulted him. I'll have to be careful to avoid that in the future…' _Hinata smiled, hoping to reassure Kiba, before speaking once again. "Any further questions?"

Sweet, beautiful silence.

"If there ARE questions, I will be on patrol, starting from point A. Mid, head over to Yuki's room, and wait outside. She will probably still be sleeping off the sake. Neji, Kiba, Akamaru, be ready to relieve your partner in 2 and 4 hours, respectively. I suggest getting some sleep in. Dismissed!" Hinata mentally applauded herself. That actually sounded confident!

As she walked towards a hall near the stern of the ship, which she'd referred to as Point A, she turned her Byakugan on and saw Neji walking up to her.

"Captain," Neji addressed her.

"… Yes?" Hinata replied, uncertain of what Neji wanted.

"Is there a problem? You were avoiding my eyes the entire meeting."

"Oh! Sorry. Just a bit nervous… This is my first time in position of leadership."

"And you were not certain how well I would obey orders from you on a mission. You thought I would not respect your decisions."

The was an awkward silence before Hinata could find her voice again. "Er, well… yes."

"Understandable, from some points of view…" Neji muttered under his breath. "However, you are the Captain of this mission, and have demonstrated your talents. Thinking ahead, keeping confidence in the face of criticism and overwhelming odds... That strength defeated me during the Exams, it carried you through the battle afterwards, and I expected nothing less from you."

"… It means a great deal to hear you say that."

"I means a great deal for me to say it." Neji smiled. "I owe you for what you taught me during that battle. Our fate is not decided by others, we decide it for ourselves… And you have made for yourself a great path."

Hinata smiled, thanking him as she made it to her starting point. She activated the Byakugan, and bade Neji goodnight.

* * *

"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as he and his team was surrounded on all sides by Sound Shinobi. Exactly as expected, Orochimaru was behind this, and as expected, his men intercepted them not 30 minutes after arriving at the closest town. He noticed a glint behind the small platoon.

The signal, as mentioned in the scroll.

"But not troublesome enough for us," Shikamaru grinned as three puppets burst from out of the ground, surrounding and forming a sphere around Team Shikamaru, taking them underground just as a cyclone of wind and sand caught the enemy ninja, slicing them and covering them with large amounts of sand.

"_Suna no Saikuron! (Sand Cyclone)"_called two voices. When the sandstorm faded and the puppets spat Shikamaru's team out of the ground, the Sound Shinobi were strewn about, sand moving on its own to their necks, just in case. From a rooftop to their left, their backup from Suna landed before them.

Llednar gauged at the team that had saved them. "You again…"

"Long time no see, Twem Llednar," replied the captain sent to lead the backup team. Beatrix bowed lightly. "I apologize for the… situation we last met in."

"Aw, wasn't your fault," Choji replied. "Orochimaru pulled a fast one on all of us."

"True, but as shinobi it's our job to be the ones pulling 'the fast ones.'" Temari frowned. "We were tricked, and that failure caused trouble for both sides." She looked to Gaara, considering. "Though some good things came out of our trip to Konoha."

Kankuro had a serious look on his face. "That's why we're here on this joint mission. We lost our dad because of Orochimaru's schemes, so we want to put him down like the dog he is."

Llednar frowned, remembering the war. "I too have an issue to resolve with Orochimaru, or at least one of his soldiers."

Shikamaru nodded. "We all have a reason to be here. This is a difficult mission, but if it succeeds we'll have at the very least cut Orochimaru off from one of his closest bases to the Land of Fire, as well as any supplies or research he's left in the base."

"And at most?" Choji asked.

"At most we'll have captured a member of Orochimaru's inner circle. Remember, however, that we are not to engage Orochimaru himself." He gave a stern look to his team. He'd been made captain of the combined team for this mission, and he was thus responsible for their well being. "He has killed both the 4th Kazekage and the 3rd Hokage, two of the most powerful ninja our respective villages have. He's on a whole other level."

"Noted," Llednar muttered. Choji nodded as well.

"Likewise," Beatrix agreed. "Meanwhile, we've already started recon, as our scroll suggested. Temari, Gaara, you have anything yet?"

Temari huffed. "My weasels are scouring the area as we speak. We'll hear from them when we hear from them."

Gaara shook his head slightly. "No."

Llednar grimaced. "Do any of our foes yet live? We can figure out where they came from and strike there."

By now, all of Gaara's sand had reached several important parts of his enemies' bodies. He had already used this to knock many of the shinobis' out. Gaara lifted up the only one he hadn't KOed yet and brought the struggling minion to the Jinchūriki's face.

"Where is Orochimaru's base here?"

The shinobi spat at him. "I wouldn't tell anything to a freak like you!"

Gaara stared him down for several minutes, completely silent, as Temari, Beatrix, and Kankuro grimaced and turned away, and Shikamaru's team followed suit.

Then the defiant man's left arm was crushed by sand. Gaara had used just enough sand to crush the arm, but not enough to cover up the visage of it, and he had turned the man's head to gaze directly at the mess…

… Or at least, that was what the Suna team had expected to happen. They'd seen Gaara interrogate someone before, after all.

Instead, he simply replied, "I see." Gaara was silent for a while, before he made a decision. "Perhaps," he said to nobody in particular. "We will do this your way, then." Gaara put his hand on the man's chest, holding it there for a while. Gaara's eyes shifted to a slightly darker shade of blue and his hair lengthened, streaks of blond flowing into place among the red. Finally he spoke again, a faint echo of someone else's voice within hearing. The voice was feminine, compared to Gaara's. Temari almost mistook it as her mother's voice. "I have the location. We are free to make our attack. Before that…" He reached into a bag at his side. He pulled out… a book?

He began sketching something, and the man's eyes glazed over.

"What… what are you…" the man struggled to speak.

"Go to sleep, nothing else matters now," Gaara cooed as his sand took the form of chains and choked the ninja, only loosening its grip when he lost consciousness. After a few minutes, Gaara finished his drawing. "When the chains have settled, you may begin your life anew."

Smiling ('SMILING!' Temari thought, taken aback.), Gaara put away his sketchbook and his appearance returned to normal. He walked up to his team, his face neutral. "I will lead you to the base. Orochimaru has already left it, but many shinobi are still there."

Shikamaru would have raised his eyebrow had he not been too lazy. That wasn't the raving lunatic he had seen in the Chūnin Exams. And what was with the transformation? It was just like that time Naruto changed his hair and got stronger during his fight with Gaara…

'Great, questions without answers. Troublesome.'

* * *

"You see that, right, Neji?" Hinata asked, scarcely believing her own eyes. Only minutes ago, at 5:21 in the morning, a glacier had risen up from the ocean, barring the way to the Land of Snow. She and the rest of her team had put on heavy cloaks, toe-covering shoes, and scarves to keep themselves warm as they approached the frigid waters near The Land of Snow.

"I do." Neji confirmed.

"Probably a trap." Hinata said, playing with her dull orange scarf. "Do they think us dumb enough to approach it? Who would be that stu—"

"DO YOU SEE THAT! IT'S BEAUTIFUL! WE'RE CHANGING EVERYTHING!" The director's voice could be heard all over the boat. "THE FILM GODS MUST BE SMILING UPON US! CAPTAIN, MAKE FOR THE GLACIER!"

Hinata opened her mouth to speak, then shut it in irritation.

Mid adjusted his goggles. "Well, at least if it's an underneath-the-underneath trap, they'll be caught unawares?"

Hinata sighed, then went to… persuade the director to not stop at the glacier. Maybe if she let him know that there was a chance that shinobi would attack…

* * *

'Damn,' Hinata cursed her persuasion skills as she followed the crew onto the glacier. "Everyone, if we end up in a battle, you should be warned: Yuki-Nin armor supposedly has some kind of special property. Do not assume your attacks will get through, and hit them with everything you have." She looked at Mid. "Speaking of which, how are your weapons holding up?"

Mid glanced back. "Nothing's frozen over, I can fight." He tapped his goggles. "My scanner's reading something approaching from the other side of the iceberg, going over the tip…"

"I see it. Everyone, warn the crew, get everyone back to the boat!" Hinata ordered, already running to grab the director's attention. By the time the unknown entities reached the other side of the iceberg, most of the crew was back in the boat, with the Director still calling to shoot the battle about to take place.

The enemies — for that much was confirmed almost immediately — were three. The leader was a tall man with dull, light blue hair in a ponytail. His sickly face was marred with a single, sharp scar running down from his right eye, though that eye seemed to still be working. Hinata recognized him from the mission scroll as a foe Kakashi had fought during a mission 10 years ago: Nadare Rōga, the Lord of Icy Beasts, and at least a high B-Rank, possibly A-Rank.

To his left, a large man riding some kind of… snowboard… was laughing, grasping his heavily armored— no, there wasn't a hand inside the armor: it was mechanical!— left hand with his right hand. He _wasn't_ on the scroll, which either meant that no one had engaged him and learned how he fought, or everyone who did died before they could pass on his strengths and weaknesses. Hinata mentally filed him as A-Rank-Until-Further-Notice.

On Nadare's right was a woman with pink pigtails sprouting from her helmet and a mean look that instantly negated the silliness of her hairstyle. According to the intel, that was probably Fubuki Kakuyoku, the Ice Warden. Confirmed B-Rank Ninja.

All three had some kind of machinery attached to their grey clothes: Hinata assumed that THAT was the Chakra Armor the scroll had warned about.

The looked at the Yukie, who was staring at them from the boat. The leader smiled.

"It's so good to see you, Koyuki-hime! I do hope you still have the Hex Crystal!"

"Neji, can you and Mid handle the kunoichi?" Hinata asked.

"Of course." Neji smirked.

"Yeah. Intel lists her as the sort for homing projectiles and trap-based Jutsu. Your Kaiten should be helpful in protecting you," Hinata passed along as Neji charged towards his foe, followed by Mid.

Kiba gave a feral grin. "I take it Akamaru and I get the big guy."

"Be careful, he's probably A-Rank material," Hinata warned.

"How cute, the little girl is throwing around warnings when she should be worrying about herself," Nadare laughed as he rushed ahead, engaging Hinata.

"I have nothing to worry about," Hinata replied, drawing Yoshitori, she stabbed at Nadare, pushing her chakra into the tip for a Jūken strike… only for the attack to bounce off of Nadare's armor. "W-what the…?"

With a sneer, Nadare punched Hinata across the icy ground, sending her crashing into a jutting wall of ice. "Our chakra armor has become much more powerful since the last time we fought Konoha-nin. It's far too bad that Kakashi and isn't here, I so wanted to gloat… While it only gave us a light boost in our defenses 10 years ago, now it boosts our chakra by a phenomenal amount, while protecting us from our opponent's chakra. Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, even your precious Gentle Fist are worthless."

Hinata's eyes widened in shock and worry. She was capable of fighting without her Jūken, but Neji almost constantly relied on it… She shook off the worries as she saw her opponent perform a Jutsu that called forth many wolves made of ice.

"_Hyōton: Rōga Nadare no Jutsu! (Ice Release: Wolf Fang Avalance Technique)"_

Hinata narrowed her eyes as the horde of dogs came down upon her. She couldn't use jutsu for attack, but… For defense… Her sword vanished, and she took a defensive position, pushing her Chakra to her hands, and moving them fast enough to leave streams of chakra in straight lines.

Neji would have gawked at what Hinata was doing, if he wasn't too busy deflecting swallows made of ice. _'What is that? A new Jutsu?_' He spun into Kaiten to block a particularly large swarm, only for a rip to appear in the spinning barrier as Fubuki's armor undid the chakra Neji was expelling. Luckily, Mid took that opening to fire a barrage of shuriken at Fubuki's face, as it was the only thing not protected physically by the armor. It didn't kill her, but her deflecting the shots gave Neji time to recover and counter.

Contrary to Hinata's belief, Neji was able to use things other than Jūken. Or at least, now he did. Hinata's victory over him had taught him a great many things, with the most practical being to not rely on a single method of battle. He used the lingering spin of his Kaiten to push him into a relatively basic, but still useful spinning kick:

"_Konoha Reppū! (Leaf Gale)"_ Neji kicked Fubuki in the face, knocking her back into the ground. As he landed, he nodded to Mid, who was firing off more Kunai, some of which had exploding tags attached. Fubuki quickly formed a wall of ice around her to protect her.

"It's won't be that easy to beat me!" Fubuki growled as she threw several pellets that exploded into spikes of ice around Neji and Mid. Neji was able to avoid the worst of it, while Mid blocked with his chakra barrier.

"_Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō! (Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)"_Hinata called as she reached the apex of the technique, the lines of chakra forming a dome around Hinata. The wolves plowed into the technique, being chopped into miniature chunks of powder snow, billowing about in the wind.

"Oh? That's an interesting technique…" Nadare muttered, keenly looking at the crisscrossing, constantly moving lines of chakra. "I've never heard of something like this in the Hyūga Clan."

Hinata smirked, holding the technique to destroy the last few wolves. "That's because this isn't a traditional Hyūga technique. I made it myself, and you're its first witness."

"And its last." Nadare charged at and _through_ the technique, kunai drawn.

'Of course he can pass through it. They could get through Neji's Kaiten, too…' Hinata summoned her blade again, using the momentum of the technique to parry Nadare's attack. "Actually, I fully intend to show it off in other situations… I'm not picky." She knocked Nadare away readying herself for the next clash.

Kiba, meanwhile, was clashing with his opponent, his Tunneling Fang burrowing in and out of the ice for sneak attacks and his smoke bombs disorienting the enemy.

"Arrgh! You'll pay for that!" the large yuki-nin roared at yet another hit from Kiba, plowing his mechanical hand into the ground and firing it, shattering the ice. "Got you… Eh!"

Suddenly, two giant dog heads burst from the crater the man had created, both chomping down on the foe.

'_Jinjū Konbi Henge: Sōtōrō! (Human-Beast Combination: Double-Headed Wolf)'_

Kiba and Akamaru tightened their grip on the shinobi, threatening to rip him apart.

"Mizore!" Nadare called out in shock. "Shit… We underestimated you lot… _Hyōton: Ikkaku Hakugei! (Ice Release: One Horned White Whale)"_ At his call, a large chunk of the glacier turned into a large whale of snow, which rammed Kiba and Akamaru, forcing them to let go, or rather throw his foe across the iceberg. The two headed dog recovered, then clashed with the White Whale with their Wolf Tunneling Fang. The snow resulting from the clash obscured everyone's sight… except for the Konoha Shinobi with their various sight techniques.

'This is getting us nowhere,' Hinata thought to herself, signaling the same to Neji. 'Everyone's on the boat, time to retreat.' She turned her attention to Kiba. "Make a path for the boat's escape…" Hinata whispered, hoping Kiba's powerful hearing could catch it.

When the snow cover finally faded, the Konoha Ninja and the boat they were protecting were long gone.

* * *

The base was hidden deep in a mountainous regions covered with trees, but Gaara lead the group with purpose to a hole in the ground that plunged deep into the base. Shikamaru still thought it was suspicious, and he could tell that his compatriots from Suna were likewise bewildered. However, this was their only lead, so he went down the snake's hole. At the bottom, the team found a labyrinthine mess of sparsely-lit halls, side rooms, traps, and enemy shinobi that made Shikamaru glad there were so many shadows. Gaara took the enemy survivors of the battles and did to them what he had done earlier, until his constantly-shifting hairdo ceased to be surprising.

They searched, but no Orochimaru was to be found. 'Good,' Shikamaru mused. 'I'm not sure we could even hope to win a fight against him…'

What they did find were the remnants of Orochimaru's experiments, of which Shikamaru took notes and (where safe) samples for the Hokage's perusal. More disturbing, however, were the varied schematics of Konoha's geography, their shinobi's strengths and weaknesses, and scarily accurate reports of the perimeter patrol's patterns. Shikamaru made a mental note to let Tsunade know there was a likely a leak of horrific proportions.

It was in their second hour of searching the base that they found themselves suddenly confronted by a full platoon of sound shinobi. These Ninja were stronger than the others, and all bore strange markings, like the ones that had started to cover Naruto during his fight with Gaara seconds before he had transformed into that dark form.

"Well well, what do we have here? Suna and Konoha shinobi snooping in one of our old bases?" A cruel, feminine voice rang out through the large chamber the attack had come, and Llednar's head snapped towards its source. Out of the shadows came a woman dressed in what Shikamaru could only describe as something out of those fetish magazines he'd found hidden in his father's room. "Were you hoping to speak to Lord Orochimaru? He built this base just for the attack on Konoha, then left it to me to maintain." The woman sneered at Llednar. "And look who we have here, the moppet… How is that lady you fought beside? Is she enjoying her condition?"

Llednar's face twisted into a haughty glare at the woman. "Better than you will be yours. None will mourn your passing."

"We'll see about that. You're in far over your dolled up little head. Aren't they, dear Nightmare?" Another man, decked out in heavy armor, emerged from the dark corners, grasping his head with his left hand and a large sword with his right. He was beginning to transform, darkness seeming to emanate from him as his right arm turned into a grotesque claw and his eyes started to glow red.

"Hearts… I will… consume… your HEARTS!" Even the curse-seal-amplified sound shinobi backed away, as though in fear as the monstrous figure charged at the Suna and Konoha Ninja.

The chaotic battle was more than anything Shikamaru had experienced before, with 15 individuals flying about a space almost three quarters the size of the room the Chūnin Exams 3rd Round Prelims had been in. Kunai, jutsu, and one big angry monster were just about everywhere Shikamaru could see, and this Nightmare was proving an annoyance for both sides, attacking friend and foe indiscriminately. Choji was likewise bouncing about the room in his Human Boulder form, having trouble avoiding hitting allies while pounding enemies into dust, and Shikamaru did what he could to slow his foes down with Shadow Possession.

Llednar was barely acknowledging the rest of the battle, choosing instead to directly engage the Sound Kunoichi that had addressed him.

"So, who was that lady to you? Mommy dearest? Little highborn moppet crying for mommy?"

"What does it matter to you? You will be gone soon." Llednar replied, using his Circle of Fury to stun her (and a handful of shinobi around them), throwing his sword into a Ripcircle, killing one of the sound ninja, though the woman blocked the sword with her own.

"Killer intent isn't enough to stun when you're not stronger than your opponent," she chided as she changed her sword into its chain form, sliding back out of range of the circle. "Your hate is far from enough to keep me pinned down for that attack."

"It's enough to maneuver you into this, Ivy!" taunted Beatrix as she thrust her sword at her former ally from her unguarded left side. Ivy dodged, only to find Llednar bearing down upon her, his sword glowing a faint green with his Abyss technique. She caught the sword with her whip-sword, swinging and throwing it and Llednar straight at Nightmare.

"YOUR HEART IS MI-" Nightmare's glorious crowing was cut short by Choji plowing into him with his Human Boulder. Llednar twisted and landed on the side of the bulbous mass of flesh, bouncing off it to get back to Ivy. As he flew back into his own personal fray, his body began to glow blue.

"Power of Eradication, gather at the tip of this blade! Hoist yourself to the brightest light, then plunge into the deepest darkness! _OMEGA (Rank 2)!_" Llednar roared as he slashed towards Ivy. It barely missed her, but still caught her blade, which trailed behind and was now obliterated, along with her hand, and the stump of her wrist was now spilling blood. Fear finally welling up in Ivy's eyes, she jumped away, moving to escape into the halls.

Llednar landed from his attack, bleeding from the mouth, and a predatory grin revealed that some of his teeth were missing. He gave chase, only to find a staggering Nightmare in the way, laughing gleefully as he clashed with Gaara's sand.

"You are a nuisance and must be removed." Llednar glared, launching a Rip Wave at the monster, cutting deep into his arm. Nightmare gave a shrill cry, dropping his sword, and giving Gaara enough of an edge to bring him down. As Llednar jumped over the fallen beast and continued his pursuit, the monster returned to a human form.

However, Llednar paid no mind to that as he found himself in the halls of the base. He was at a severe disadvantage, as Ivy knew this place better than he did. For all he knew… She was already gone.

'It is too bad that Hinata is not here. I could track her with the Byakugan…' He narrowed his eyes, slowing his pace as it became clearer and clearer that he wasn't going to catch her. "Go ahead and run, coward. We will fight again, and no matter how many times you try, you will always lose. And someday, I will finish you myself."

* * *

"I'm sorry you were not able to find your opponent," Gaara apologized to Llednar as they crossed the border to the Land of Fire. Gaara was carrying the man that had turned into Nightmare in his sand. The man, Seigfried, had apologized profusely to the shinobi, claiming that something Orochimaru did to him caused him to sometimes transform into a bloodthirsty beast, and he had no choice but to hope that the Snake Sannin would make good on a promise to undo the damage he'd done. As such, Shikamaru had decided (at Gaara's insistence) that, while it was troublesome, they would take Seigfried to Konoha, where Tsunade would attempt to fix him.

"It matters little," Llednar replied. "I have already sworn to end her in a later battle."

"Be that as it may, you may have finished her this battle if I had finished my fight earlier."

"Perhaps," Llednar muttered. "… It will be good to return to Konoha after such an intense battle. I can only hope that Hinata and Naruto have handled their missions by now. Perhaps Riku-Sensei will be up for a spar."

* * *

Riku grimaced as he took in Anko's face during the mission description. They were to investigate rumors of a monster attacking trade ships. But more importantly, the mission was located near the Land of Seas, a place that Anko had… less than fond memories of. It was where she had been left behind by Orochimaru all those years ago.

He could only hope Tsunade knew what she was doing, sending Anko on a mission like this…

* * *

"_In the end, all you can do is give up."_

"_I thought of that before, if I just gave up, I would have it easier. I used to think that there was no place for me…"_

_**Next time on XIII Ninja: Epic Clash in the Land of Snow! The Rainbow Glacier!**_

"… _But someone showed me that I was wrong… and now I have dreams worth dying for!"_

* * *

"Okay, because sometimes I always take forever to update these chapters, I'm changing my battle plan slightly so you at least get something earlier. When I finish a chapter, I will look over it for errors, then I'll post it here while also emailing it to the beta. That's Version 0.5. When I get it back from the beta, I'll look over it again, then replace Version 0.5 with the fixed version. That will be Version 1.0.

"At some point in the future (hopefully around Christmastime or something), I intend to go back through this story and revamp some of the issues in XIII Ninja. Inconsistencies, grammar, etc. So feel free to let me know if you see something that needs fixing. These fixes will also include the following features:

_Character Info:_ I've gotten comments in the past about certain characters being OCs and things like that, so I've decided this is the last straw, and will be including little profiles for the various characters, including series of origin and fun facts. These will appear before the Bottom Author Notes."

_Possible New Scenes:_ Akin to KH Final Mix, we may see new scenes where they'd help the story or flow.

_Fun Facts about the Chapter:_ Exactly what it says. For example: in today's Chapter, many of Llednar's lines are derived from Llednar himself in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Likewise, Ivy's line about 'Highborn Moppets' is derived from a group of bandits in Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions: 'Well, highborn moppets is still moppets!'

A full change list will be in the Fun Facts Section. Anything updated in this method will be Version 2.0.

Now, enjoy a hearty omake!"

* * *

Omake: Romeo and Juliet, XIII Ninja Style! Part 1:Two Clans, Alike in Dignity!

* * *

Final Casting (In order of Appearance, after much debate by the actors and beatdowns by the casting director)

Chorus: Namine

Llednar, Blowhard Servant of Hyuuga

Mid, another servant of Hyuuga, Llednar's sidekick.

Ino, servant of Uchiha

Sakura, loyal servant of Sasuke

Itachi Uchiha, nephew of Orochimaru, friend to Sasuke

Neji, hot-headed nephew of Lady Remedi.

Citizens: Vexen, Luxord

Hiashi Hyuuga

Lady Remedi, wife of Hiashi

Orochimaru Uchiha

Larxene, wife of Orochimaru

Prince Riku, Ruler of Konoha

Sasuke, son of Orochimaru (Male Lead)

Hinata, Sasuke's first love.

Konohamaru, handsome and noble suitor to Hanabi, kinsman of Prince Riku.

Rock Lee, dimwitted and illiterate servant of Hiashi

Hanabi Hyuuga, daughter of Hiashi (Female Lead)

Nurse Tsunade, Hanabi's Nurse

Fiona, the Servingwoman

Naruto, friend of Sasuke and kinsman of Prince Riku

Servants of Hyuuga: Beatrix, Shino, Might Guy, Xigbar

Musician Demyx

Anko, Kinsman of Hiashi. They were young together.

Tenten, Page to Neji

Gaara, follower of Neji

Jiraiya, friend and spiritual father to Sasuke and Hanabi

Axel, whimsical servant of Hiashi.

Xemnas, Page to Naruto

Zexion the Apothecary

Friar Marluxia

Ebisu, Page to Konohamaru

The Watch: Roxas, Xaldin, Lexaeus, and Iruka

* * *

In the dark void of an untold tale, sat a young girl. She was dressed in white, with blond hair down to her shoulders. She had sat there for a long time, wishing only to let others know what she has seen in the memories of the world. One day, a large collective found themselves before her, and she finally had her audience. She stood, tucking away the book she had been sketching in, and introduced herself as Namine.

"… Have you heard of the two great clans? They were once the most legendary clans in Konoha. Hyuuga, lead by the white, all-seeing yet blind eyes of Lord Hiashi. Uchiha, lead by the cunning but quick to anger Lord Orochimaru. These clan's feuds had lasted a century, and soon broke out again into something that was war in everything but name. Their own blood dirtied their bitter rival's hands.

Namine shook her head. "What became of these clans, you ask? For their unending conflict they would pay a most hefty price: the lives of their beloved children. The noble Bird and Snake, having felled each other in their misfated desire to be together, ended their ancestors' battles and ambitions forevermore. If you have but a few chapters worth of Omakes to spare, what I failed to explain just now, I shall try to make clear…"

* * *

The sun shined bright over the streets of Konoha's finest city, Konohagakure, as two young men strolled down the busy mainway of the marketplace. One, a prim-looking man in light makeup, a red shirt and hat, hefting a sword at his side and twirling a kunai in one hand, smiled mercilessly. "As I said, brother, we must refuse to take such crap."

Mid, the younger brother, wearing blue goggles and a coat, laughed. "We'd not want to be crap shovelers, Llednar!"

"Indeed." Llednar smiled. "There's only one way such insults against the Fair Hyuuga can be dealt with." He threw the kunai upwards a bit, then as it fell, he cut it in half with his sword, eliciting some gasps from the nearby townsfolk.

"One of these days, Llednar, that temper will earn you a wonderful new rope necklace." Mid warned jokingly, trailing his finger across his neck.

"I will say I was provoked heavily."

"Oh really? I doubt anything they do will be enough to provoke you unless you wanted to be provoked."

Llednar shook his head. "Nay, just the sight of one of those Uchiha serpents is enough to move me."

"A wise man once said, Llednar, to move is to stir, to be valiant is to stand."

"Then I will stand against the wall and force away any foolish snake hiding there."

"Ah, so you're the weak sort who needs a wall to lean on?"

Llednar gasped. "Such slander from my brother! No, only weak maids would be weak enough to need such a support. Let me give it to them even as I knock aside their ninja."

Mid choked on his tongue for a second. "Llednar, maids have no part in our crusade. No need to make enemies of civilians, right?"

Llednar huffed. "A snake is a snake, Mid. But as you desire. When I am done with the ninja, I will be merciful and cut off the maidens' heads."

"Their h-heads?"

"That, or their maidenheads. Take that as you will."

"You are incorrigible." Mid sighed. "Well, how about those two snakes over there?"

Across the street, two Uchiha servant-nin, the pink-haired Sakura and her erstwhile friend Ino were approaching, seeming to have a conversation about the goods at the stand.

Llednar smirked. "Such pretty little serpents. Mid… encourage them. I shall back you up."

"Oh? Here I thought you were just going to run."

"Of course not… I was hoping they might start this party, so that the law is on our side."

"Good thinking, brother. I'll frown at them, see how they take it."

"That is nothing. No, that will not do…" He smirked as a plan formed, then began to speak loud and direct to the Kunoichi. "Well, well, if it isn't the serpent's finest kunoichi! Might I see inside your holes? Must be quite roomy…"

"What was that?" The pink haired ninja spun to glare at Llednar, followed by Ino. "Do you take us for whores?"

Llednar leaned over the Mid. "Mid, do you think that if I said yes, the law would be on our side?"

Mid shrugged. "I don't think so."

"No, fair serpents. I simply asked to inspect your holes."

Mid smiled, raising his eyebrows over his goggles. "Why, are you implying something?"

Ino cracked her knuckles. "We imply nothing, filthy birds."

"Oh, and we have been so civil, and you would insult us? We serve every bit as great a man as you do." Llednar pouted. 'Though maybe not in the ways you do.'

Sakura laughed, hand moving slowly under her cloak to a kunai. "What, no better?"

Llednar bowed politely to Sakura, "Well, my good lady, if I might be honest-"

Mid poked at him and whispered. "One of my master's kinsman is approaching."

"- Much better. Also, I was also implying nothing. You **are** whores."

"Why you-!" Sakura drew a kunai and threw it Llednar's head as he leapt over it and onto the rooftops.

"Careful, Mid, remember, the well-aimed thrust pierces the guard." Mid nodded as Sakura and Ino followed them up.

In short order, two other ninja emerged from the crowds below. One of them, a man in a black robe with red clouds, instantly moved to grab Sakura and Ino out of the way of a burst of kunai from Mid.

"Ah, Itachi, good to see you," Sakura smiled appreciatively. "Now, let's go get those-"

"No. It simply is not prudent to battle them here and now." Itachi muttered before blocking a barehanded strike to his chest. He pushed the attacker away, and pushed chakra out of the tenketsu that had been closed. "Neji."

The tan-wearing servant of the Hyuuga laughed. "Itachi. Fate seems to be smiling upon me today. Come to protect your cowardly whores?"

"We are not whores!" Ino insisted. "Come on, Itachi, let me kick his ass!"

Itachi sighed before discouraging a rush from Llednar with a fireball. "I am simply trying to keep the peace. Either stand down, Neji, or help me break this up.

"Peace? Tch, that is not your destiny today. I spit upon your peace, just as I spit on all Uchiha, especially you! Now, come, fight me!" Itachi sighed, releasing Sakura and Ino and activating his ultimate technique, his eyes turning red and beginning to bleed.

"Then I have no choice… Ameteratsu!" Itachi sent out black fire at Neji, who dodged it only to land atop a kunai simmering with an activated tag.

Below, the battle was causing buildings to start crumbling. Fire and explosions reached down, nearly killing the civilians below.

One of these civilians, the scientist Vexen, groaned, brushing dust out of his long blond hair as he hid in an alley, trying not to be a victim of the brawl above. "Of course this has to happen right as I'm passing by. Damned Uchiha and Hyuuga. Why hasn't the Hokage banished them yet?"

"I know, right?" grumbled Vexen's friend, the short-haired wandering gambler Luxord. "Can't even get a good game started without some Hyuuga or Uchiha coming in and turning it into part of their feud."

"Look, there's some more now," Vexen said, pointing to a tall, pale man with long black hair. He, like Itachi, was wearing the black and red cloak indicative of his clan. At his side was a woman with neck-length bright blond hair that had two antennas branching off of the front and curving back behind her head. "Lord Orochimaru and Lady Larxene..."

"Larxene, get me my sword..." Orochimaru ordered, licking his lips. "It's been too long since the last fight I've had, and Hyuuga has been so kind to come fight my servants and kin right in front of me..."

"That could be said of the both of us," replied a voice across the way. A regal-looking man with white eyes and long brown hair that was balding in the front stepped into view. "Orochimaru. I'm going to enjoy ripping off your hide and making my dear Remedi a snakeskin purse. That would do well to make her feel better."

"Hiashi. I'd love to see you try…" Orochimaru launched towards Hiashi, who replied in kind with his own attack.

However, just as they were about to clash, a wave of dark energy burst from the ground, forming into hands that grabbed Orochimaru, Hiashi, and all of their servants.

"… Hokage-sama," Itachi hoarsely addressed the man that rose from the ground, riding a similar hand of darkness. "Would you please lessen your grip a little?"

"No." The silver-haired man frowned at his fellows. "Why am I not surprised that it is you all who have disturbed the peace? This war… and don't call it otherwise, it is a war… needs to stop. Look below you." All did so. "This is the third time in the last month I've heard that there was a fight going on and come to find this: fallen men from both your clans and from the average man, with a bunch of you still going at it."

"They began it, Riku-Sama." Llednar muttered.

"And I'm finishing it." Riku pulled out a scroll and began writing in it. "If ever anyone, Uchiha or Hyuuga or otherwise, starts or join a fight in the streets again, you will be executed by hanging-"

Mid looked at Llednar. "I warned you."

"- and that is final. I'm sick of your nonsense." Riku let Orochimaru and his compatriots down. "For now, I will speak with Hiashi. Orochimaru, come to my tower later to give your side of the story. Everyone else," He let Ino, Sakura, and Itachi go, "Go home, and heed my words." With that, he vanished into the darkness with Hiashi. With a couple withering looks at each other, Mid, Llednar, Sakura, Ino, and Neji parted ways. Itachi bowed lightly to Orochimaru.

"I apologize for dishonoring our family. I only desired to stop them fighting, but then Neji appeared, and he was insistant."

"I understand," Orochimaru replied. "I take it you were not there to see the fight start?"

"No. It had already started by the time I had arrived."

Orochimaru's wife, Larxene, sighed. "And your brother, Sasuke, have you seen him?"

"He was in the park on the west side of the city. I approached, but it seems he wishes to be alone."

Orochimaru sighed. "That sounds about right for him lately. He has been quite melancholy of late… perhaps you can offer some brotherly advise, Itachi?"

"Have you not already tried?"

"Yes, but the boy wants no part of me…" Orochimaru sighed. "That simply will not do, so I beseech you, speak with Sasuke, learn his troubles, and help him overcome them."

"Very well." Itachi smiled, leaping to the rooftops to begin his search.

* * *

Sasuke was still at the park, sitting on a dock of the nearby lake, skipping rocks. His dark hair drooped to side-bangs past his cheeks in the front, and protruded from the back of his head in spikes. He, like his father and brother, wore the traditional black and red garments of his clan.

"Good morning, Sasuke."

Sasuke jumped a bit, hesitated, then ground out: "Hello, Itachi. Is it still so early?"

Itachi looked up, checking the sun's angle. "Only just nine o'clock."

"Damn. Whoever says time flies was never met with such tragedy as myself.

"Oh? What tragedy extends your hours, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, sitting next to Sasuke.

"… Not having what would make those hours short."

"Ah," Itachi took on a teasing tone. "In love, are we?"

"No, out."

"Of love?"

"Of her favor." Sasuke tossed another rock to the lake. "You must be laughing at me."

"No." Itachi insisted. "I'm in more of a mood to weep."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You, weep? At what?"

"Your dilemma."

Sasuke glared at Itachi. "I don't need your pity." He got up, turning to leave.

"Not so fast. I'm coming with you. Wouldn't do for Neji to surprise you in such a peaceful place as this." Itachi got up, and walked into step with Sasuke. "So, who is it?"

"… A woman."

"I assumed as much."

"Just as accurate with your thoughts as with your kunai. She's a beauty of a woman."

Itachi smiled. "A clear shot is easier made."

"Ah, but she has sworn to keep her beauty pure, and has chosen not to abide any affections."

"Ah, she's sworn to chastity?"

"Such a wonderful woman, and yet so horrible, to not pass on her beauty to the next generation."

"Indeed. You are too good for her. Move on, Sasuke."

"Where to?" Sasuke asked skeptically.

Itachi leaned close to Sasuke, giving a mischievous leering smile. "To other beauties, of course."

"Shows what you know, Itachi. There's not a woman more beautiful than the one that has moved beyond my reach… Any woman I find will only remind me more of her."

"I assure you, Sasuke. I do not care if the one who has spurned you is fair Kairi herself. I will find you a girl who boots her out of your head or die trying."

Sasuke brightened a little at that.

* * *

"And that's that for today's chapter and Omake. See ya later!"


	36. Epic Clash in the Land of Snow!

XIII Ninja  
Naruto Copyright Kishimoto/Shonen Jump/Funimation  
Soul Calibur Copyright Namco  
Kingdom Hearts Copyright SquareEnix/Disney

"New Chapter you guys, the finale of the Yukie Arc for Hinata. We're so close to Chapter 40. So very close…"

Hinata: "What happens on Chapter 40?"

"We'll be finished prepping for Part 2, and taking the plunge to the Final Arc. Fun times ahead, folks. On to the Fic!"

* * *

"What? No, seriously: WHAT?" Kiba growled into Hinata's face after she explained what she'd just learned from Yukie's─ _No, __Princess Koyuki's_ attendant.

_Doesn't he have any sense of personal space! _Hinata asked herself as she stepped away, turning to the wall of the corridor the team was meeting in, partially so she didn't have to get another dose of dog breath, and partially because she had the overwhelming urge to smash her head against the wall from the insanity she'd been dropped into.

Not that she'd admit either reason.

"Turns out, our lead actress is actually the usurped heir to the throne in the Land of Snow. The ninja that came after us were here to capture her for some kind of crystal she has, so their leader can get some kind of treasure. Meanwhile, her attendant, Sandayū, wants her to go aid in the rebellion against the current government, which she has refused out of hand."

Kiba groaned. "So, when are we heading back?"

"Hm?" Hinata kept her face carefully neutral.

"Back. To Konoha. Obviously." Akamaru yipped in agreement.

"Oh." Hinata hesitated. "… We're not. They still want us on."

"WHAT! Who the hell do they think we are? We were already practically in over our heads BEFORE when we were just escorting her into a dangerous isolationist country and she was a famous actress, and NOW it turns out the dangerous isolationist government is actively hunting for us! This is WAY beyond our skills." Kiba was looking a bit more frantic. Neji and Mid were also frowning at the change of mission.

"Doesn't matter. We're still going." Hinata repeated, a little more firmly. A pipe was running down the wall Hinata was looking at, and she briefly pondered what sound it would make if she slammed her head into it.

There was silence for a few seconds, broken by a derisive snort.

"… I get you now." Kiba said. "Obviously you're scared to come back, your first mission a complete wreck!" Kiba's mouth formed into a snarl, not even hiding his building anger. "Yeah, I've seen it on your face. I smell your fear! So you've decided better to die trying than come home a disgrace and─" He ignored the glare Neji had sent his way. "─so you'll bring us down with you in flames, just for your petty Hyuuga pride? Cold as ice! Well, thanks for nothing, _Captai─_"

"Enough!" Hinata turned on Kiba, and Neji froze at how similar Hinata's tone was to her father's at that moment. "… You think I don't know how slim our hopes are? You think I'd let you all get into this mess if I could avoid it? I can't. We're stuck in enemy territory, our clients are in control of the ship and are heading deeper into enemy territory, any ships we come across are likely to be occupied by the enemy, and none of us know how to pilot a boat…

_If Naruto or Riku-sensei were here, we could just open a portal back to Konoha, but…_

… _They're not._

"… So if you have a Plan B, color me interested."

She sighed at the still defiant look Kiba was giving her, but when he didn't answer, she continued.

"… This should have been your first A-Rank Mission, right Kiba?" Kiba nodded hesitantly, afraid to show weakness. "Want to know about my first A-Rank?" She paused. "It was just like this. Should have been a C-Rank, something came up, we pressed on under our leader's orders." Another pause, a long one this time. "I nearly died, and Naruto…" She shook her head, remembering the battle on the bridge, the bloodstains she'd seen in Naruto's clothes and on the bridge itself, the aftermath of the aura of the Kyuubi flowing unchecked... The assassaination attempt… the battle with Orochimaru… "Naruto hasn't been quite the same since.

"That was my first mission outside the village, and it all went so bad… So don't think I don't know how bad this could go. I do, and I wouldn't wish it on any of you, not for all the glory in the world. But we're stuck here now, and you're wrong about one more thing: This is NOT beyond our skills. Lady Tsunade chose us for this mission, even knowing that this sort of thing could happen, as it's happened before." She got up from the wall, and looked Kiba in the eyes. "I've chosen to believe in the Hokage that Naruto brought home."

Silence again. _I've messed up,_ Hinata thought. _ No way he's going to respect my judgement. Absolutely no way. _She turned about, walking down the hall to get some air. "Patrol the ship. We're close enough to the Land of Snow to suspect they'll try another attack. Dismissed." She gave the orders with as much authority as she could muster.

She shuddered as she stepped into the cold air on deck, and leaned against the railings. A few minutes later she allowed herself to sit with her back against them, Neji's judging eyes be damned.

_If Naruto were_ _here…_ She thought to herself again,_ We could just warp back to Konoha and ask for reinforcements. Or maybe he'd be able to lead this team to victory, he's always been the sort to boost morale. What would he have done in my place…?_

She shook her head.

"No. I can't depend on him to get me out of every little thing. I'm a Chunin now. I have to get my team through this safely, with or without him around. In that, at least, I mustn't fail."

* * *

Kiba was aloof the rest of the voyage. He'd arrive at the meetings Hinata called, give one or two word answers to everything Hinata asked, and leave. To Hinata's eyes, every time she saw him, his eyes became more like the haunted gaze of the princess, as though they were resigned to death. Death on a hopeless mission… Just like the written exams' proctor had warned…

_At least he's not arguing. That's the last thing we need, _Hinata reflected as she finally saw The Land of Snow, 2 days after the attack on the iceberg.

"You know, you shouldn't mind Kiba. He gets like that." Mid leaned on the railings, looking in the same direction as Hinata. "He's a bit abrasive."

"I guess. Is he like this with Kurenai-sensei?"

"At first he was, yeah. He knew this was Kurenai's first genin team, and questioned her methods all the time… For him, it's all about earning respect."

"Then this mission's only going to get worse from here." Hinata sighed. "Cold as ice, afraid of failure… I haven't left the best impression."

"No one ever does. Give it time. He'll come around." Mid adjusted his glasses. "For what it's worth, you seem every bit as capable as Llednar believes you to be. You've got my back."

Hinata smiled. "Thanks… Oh, and Mid?"

"Yes, Captain?"

Hinata managed to make her shudder at the title seem like just a reaction to the cold before continuing. "The crystal that the Princess has. Can you do something about it?"

"Of course, Captain. I am a ninja, after all. I'm sure I can fix something up."

"Good. And remember to keep it to yourself." Hinata paused at that, before continuing. "And when Neji interrupts you, let him know you're acting under my orders and to turn a blind eye, so to speak, and forget what he sees. I'm playing this one close to the chest."

* * *

Kiba sat in his room, ruminating on Hinata's words. "So… because the Hokage believes in us and she believes in the Hokage... She believes in us? Hmmm…" He petted Akamaru. "What do you think, boy? Is she any good?"

Akamaru yipped.

* * *

When the boats docked at the coast, several vehicles were already waiting to pick the crew up. Hinata surmised that this was part of the rebellion, and after a quick inspection of the caravan, boarded a carriage somewhere in the middle with her team. Mid gave a knowing glance to Hinata as he settled near a window seat, while Kiba took up the rest of the side, laying on the seats, Akamaru quickly dozing on his chest. Kiba and Mid likewise fell asleep shortly after.

"We'll stake out things in shifts," Hinata said, activating her Byakugan. The caravan was small enough that she could easily see everything that went on in every carriage, and in the forest surrounding them. "You should rest, Neji."

"… You're hair's getting longer."

"Hm? Is something odd about that?"

"You never used to grow it long. And around the same time that those other two rookies cut it short…" Neji's eyebrows raised in realization. "Ah, did Naruto say something about liking long hair?"

"W-what? No! I'm just…" Hinata frowned, looking past Neji, hoping for a distraction, any distraction. This was NOT a topic she wanted to be talking about with her cousin, let alone on a dangerous mission. "Just… you know… trying something new… Wait... Where the heck is─"

"Chunin-san!" The director's assistant slammed open the door, waking Kiba, Akamaru, and Mid with a start. "Yukie's run off!"

"Of course," Hinata sighed, not entirely unhappy with the revelation. "Alright, everyone. Use your radios to keep in touch, and inform me when you've found her. I'll keep watch on the caravan." Kiba grunted his begrudging assent, and Mid followed him out of the carriage, with Neji taking up the rear. Hinata sighed, heading outside, leaping above the caravan.

"Of course she runs. This shtick was old the first time she did this… What is she running from?"

* * *

"_Father, where are you?" The girl asked, wandering through the empty palace._

"_Koyuki?" Her father turned to face her. "Ah, Koyuki. Come closer, dear." She obeyed, walking into a room with eight mirrors all pointed to the center. A dim light revealed her father's gentle features, those mirth-filled eyes hidden by light reflecting of his spectacles. She stepped into the center of the mirrors. "Just like that. What can you see?"_

"_Father and me."_

"_Look carefully. You'll be able to see the future."_

_The girl peered more closely at the mirror in front of her. "I can't see anything."_

"_You will. When Spring comes, you will be able to see it."_

"_Spring?"_

"_Yes… Spring…"_

* * *

_Father, you liar… There is no Spring here. Just an endless, empty cold. Who would want to be a ruler of such a place? Only a fool…_

* * *

Neji stepped carefully towards Koyuki, having found her laying down in the snow covered woods. "I've found her, Captain."

"Good," came a static-laced voice. "We've just moved through a cavern and are prepping for filming. Everyone, back to base."

"Right…" Neji disconnected from the radio. "How many more times are you going to run, Princess?" He stepped closer. "You can't change destiny by running from the truth. I know, I've tried."

He lifted Koyuki up, getting her to ride piggy-back, and made his way back to where the caravan was when he left. He saw the tracks of the carriages pass into a cave not too far from his location. He could make out Kiba and Mid inside the caves, following the trail, presumably to Hinata and the filming crew. "Destiny can only be made to change by fighting it. When it tells you to fall and take it like a dog, you have to stand where you are and say no." With that final word of advice, Neji rushed off, Yukie in tow, to the caves. "Hinata taught me that."

* * *

The caves were chilled with ice layering the caves' floor, though odd rails were visible beneath the surface. A long time ago, in a time where the Land of Snow was not so cold, water that trickled down from melted snow at the peaks of the mountains, slipping through cracks until they finally reached the caverns, forming a shallow layer of water that could reach one's ankles. So many were the cracks and holes in the ceiling that the cave would look like it were always raining. Hence it had been known as Haruame (Springrain) Caverns... until the Spring stopped coming.

Neji was just able to make out Hinata with his Byakugan when he noticed something else in the caves, sever kilometers behind him. The rails were melting, and he could see some kind of heavy machine heading… his way!

"Shoot!" Neji sped off, rushing for Hinata and the rest of the team.

"Hey, what's going on?" Koyuki asked at the sudden burst of speed. Neji ignored her as the ice below his feet started melting. He could see chakra flowing through the rails below the ice, and stomped his foot into the rails with every step, trying to disrupt the chakra in the rail, but there was far too much… "Must be hundreds of people pushing Chakra into them…" He picked up the pace, giving up on stopping the rails and focusing on getting out of the cave.

Miraculously, he managed to get outside and move off the rails minutes before the vehicle actually caught up with him. As it passed, Neji's eyes picked up hundreds of odd cylinders the likes of which he'd never seen before, filled with thousands of Kunai.

"… The hell?" He asked himself as it came to a stop. He could see Hinata in hiding, alongside Kiba, Mid, and a large number of other men, armed with katanas one and all.

"A sneak attack, eh?" Neji muttered to himself, as a voice boomed from the train.

* * *

"Koyuki, it's been too long…" The voice said, its source being a man in his early 40s. He wore a regal cloak hiding an even more regal kimono, far more extravagant than the clothes Hinata noticed the villagers wearing.

"So this is Dotou…" Hinata frowned at the hidden weapons of the train, turning on her radio. "Mid, you and I are taking the lead. You've got your Chakra Barrier working? You're going to need it. Neji, if you can, we might need you here too with Kaiten."

"Yes, I've got it," Mid answered, activating it in a dome around himself.

"Understood," came Neji's voice over the radio, hushed so as to not draw attention from Dotou.

"Kiba?"

"Hm?" The Inuzuka looked at her, eybrow raised.

"Stay behind us until I give the signal. That goes for the rebels, too. They've got one nasty piece of weaponry on that thing, and we'll block the first strike. It'll be on you to smash it by whatever means necessary."

"This is going to hurt…" Kiba muttered to himself.

"Not if we do our part right," Hinata replied. She turned to Sandayū, who was dressed in full samurai regalia. "Alright, begin the operation."

At his command, several large tree trunks were sent sliding downhill, slamming into the vehicle while also covering part of it with snow.

"Everyone!" Sandayū called out. "Our Princess is watching! Victory will be ours!" Hinata joined the charge that ensued, disguised like the men around her, who were keeping closely knit and letting her be near the front, in preparation for what was about to happen. Her eyes could make out Mid doing the same as her, and Kiba just behind her with a similar disguise. She narrowed her eyes as the compartments in the behemoth opened up, and several solid walls of kunai came flying at the army.

Hinata leapt to meet them, removing her disguise jutsu and immediately moving into her ultimate technique's stances.

"_Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō! (Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)"_

To her right, she could see Mid activate his Chakra Barrier as a solid wall in front of him, likewise guarding against the incoming attack. Thousands of kunai plowed into the techniques, and all of them were foiled. Hinata allowed herself to note the shocked look on Dotou's face as his part of the vehicle unhinged and beat a retreat, and as soon as the cannons ran seemed to run out of ammo, Hinata gave the signal. "Now, Kiba!"

"Way ahead of you!" Kiba roared, returning to his true form and letting Akamaru out from under his jacket. They jumped past Hinata, transforming into the same two-headed form that had saved them before. "You're finished! _Jinjū Konbi Henge: Sōtōrō! (Human-Beast Combination: Double-Headed Wolf)"_

Meanwhile, the men atop the vehicle who had been operating these cannons found themselves bombarded with feathers and Kunai fired from Hinata's Yoshitori and Mid's own Kunai shooter. Not that dodging these helped them, as Kiba's Wolf Tunneling Fang crashed into the vehicle, sending it off the tracks. Hinata smirked as her plan literally derailed the course of the battle, only to hear a scream from Neji's location. She turned and rushed towards Neji, who was engaging Fubuki as Yukie was being taken away by Nadare, who was making for a large, slow-moving flying machine carried by a balloon.

"Hinata, the Princess!" Neji called out before taking a punch to the face. Hinata nodded and rushed past the dueling ninja. Neji recovered, moving into Kaiten.

"Please, that won't work! What are you planning to accompli ─" The Kaiten picked up the thick clumps of snow about him, sending it directly into Fubuki, covering her with it. Neji's face took on a smug look as he moved onto the offensive.

"Captain!" Mid called out, running after the team, only to come face to face with the same large Shinobi that Kiba had fought earlier. He jumped back, firing a kunai at the man, who blocked it with his metal arm. "Looks like you're on your own…"

* * *

Hinata leapt from the cliff, throwing a kunai at the airship with ninja wire wrapped around the handle. It stuck into the side of the ship, and she used her momentum to swing onto the back deck of the ship.

"Hang on, Koyuki, I'm on my way." Hinata smiled, entering the inside of the ship, Yoshitori drawn. She scanned the ship with her Byakugan, and carefully avoided patrolling ninja, slipping into ventilation ducts and even the outsides of the ship to avoid capture, until she finally reached her target.

"… Once I've obtained the Kazahana fortune, I'll have enough power to overwhelm and conquer all five of the Great Nations…" Dotou bragged to Koyuki, only to be interrupted by a crash of glass.

"That's not happening!" Hinata called out as she landed on the ground, glass all around her, and she fired two shots at Dotou from the Yoshitori...

Only for them to be deflected by the same kind of armor that his top lackeys possessed.

_Figures. Have to get close, he won't be able to stop me from running him thr─_

Hinata's eyes widened as a foot slammed into the back of her head. The last she saw was Koyuki's passive face, as though she had expected this…

* * *

Hinata awoke hours later, in a cell in Dotou's castle. It was colder than anywhere else in the wintery region, and in the darkness she could still see the Princess, behind the bars of a cell right across from her.

"Ugh… So, what are you in for?" Hinata asked.

"Forgery," Koyuki spat. "Your doing, no doubt. Hmph." She looked at the cuffs holding Hinata suspended in the air in her own cell. "Serves you right."

"You too…" Hinata muttered. She was hurting everywhere. She remembered Llednar's words back in the Chunin Exams, Sasuke's Ferocious Lion Combo. _How close had that kick been to killing me the same as that Genin? _She started moving about, trying to get a sense of if any part of her wasn't working. _No broken bones, nothing ruptured… I must have been one lucky girl… unless he intends to interrogate me._

"I guess you're right," Koyuki admitted. "I deserve this, dying here, in this worthless pile of snow with no hope of Spring. It's actually poetic, if you think about it."

"Spring?" Hinata asked, surprised to hear it brought up. "Is that your favorite season?"

"No." Koyuki shook her head. "… 'You'll see when the Spring comes, Koyuki.'"

* * *

"_Father, what is Spring?" asked the girl in the mirror._

"_Ah, that's right, you've never felt Spring, have you, Koyuki?" a bark of laughter, not unkind. "Koyuki, close your eyes. Try to imagine yourself surrounded with flowers… Isn't it beautiful? Now, try running through them. Can you do it?"_

"_Mmhm."_

"_Doesn't it make you feel warm and happy?"_

"_Mmmmhmmm…"_

"_That is Spring, and if you never give up on the future… Spring is sure to come."_

* * *

"Father used to say that… But this land has no Spring. My father died, I fled the Land of Snow… And I stopped believing." Koyuki buried her head in her knees. "Now, I'm always running, always lying to others, and even to myself. Figures that I'd end up being an actress, and figures I'd end up dying right back where I began, nowhere to run, and the truth right here in front of me. In the end, all you can do is just give up."

Hinata frowned. "I guess it's easier, giving up. That's how I used to think…" She summoned Yoshitori, grasping it as tightly as she could, and trying to cut through the chains. "Well, you told me your story, and I have nothing but time, so I guess I'll return the favor…

"I was born as the heir of the Hyuuga Clan, a 'Princess,' as it were… But my younger sister was always my better. She could outperform me in our fighting style, the same one I was supposed to embody the peak of. In fact, most of my clan could. I was always the weakest link. My father pushed me to improve, even as he tried to blow off the other's concerns… But I knew. I knew I was worthless… I had no place in this world.

"So when a ninja kidnapped me in hopes of harvesting my eyes, I was ready to accept it. I was ready to give up and die. But then…"

* * *

"_Hey, girl! Get out of here. I'll hold him," called out a blond-haired boy, carrying a broken stick. His smile was impressive, full of courage and confidence. So unlike her own…_

* * *

"Then I met Naruto. He saved me, not just from my kidnapper, but from myself! He gave me a place, a dream to fight for! I've fought long and hard, even when all hope was lost, even when it seemed like the whole world was out to get me, and good things have happened!" The chain she was cutting against was starting to give. A tag on the cuffs activated, and electricity rushed through Hinata's body. She cried out, but still kept cutting away. "M-Maybe something bad happens now and again, but you… Ack… you know what? When you give up, you lose those good things, too! Your hopes and dreams are gone!" Another wave of electricity washed over Hinata, and she felt her hair starting to stand on end and her vision starting to dull.

"Stop it! If you keep this up, you'll die!" Koyuki called out, panic rushing into her features. "Even if the electricity doesn't get you, they'll find you like this and kill you!"

"So what!" Hinata screamed as another shock wracked her body. "My dreams are **worth** dying for! Just as your father's were!" She gave a final scream as she broke the chains binding her, and she fell to the ground. "Ha… Ha… You see, not so tough…" She muttered, trying and failing to get up. "All I have to do now… is get us out of these cells…"

Hinata stopped moving, and the Yoshitori disappeared. Silence reigned, and Koyuki watched Hinata go still. Her thoughts were cut short by an explosion somewhere in the castle. There were sounds of activity all about the dungeons, and two shinobi eventually happened upon the cells with Hinata and Yukie. One of them, a tall, scrawny guy, stopped to look at Hinata's cell.

"Hey, wasn't she chained to the ceiling?" He asked his teammate, a short, well-filled out man.

"Yeah, I guess. What the heck is going on?" The short man walked up to the cell door, removing the tag locking the door, and stepped in. Koyuki's eyebrow went up, having been well-versed enough in movies to know not to check on a fallen prisoner, if the prisoner was potentially dangerous.

Sure enough, Hinata reacted to their touch with several well placed Jyuken strikes and Yoshitori feathers. She got up, dusting herself off and straightening her hair as she grabbed their keys and undid the shackles on her feet and wrists.

"Wow, I was just… just biding my time, d-didn't think they'd do something stupid like that." Hinata shook her head, stumbling a bit before jumping across to Yukie's cell and freeing her. The two nodded to each other, and began their escape. "I'm betting Neji and the others are the ones storming the castle, so I guess we just need to find them."

* * *

It wasn't long before they encountered the team, owing to Hinata and Neji both having Byakugan. They met just outside the dungeons, in a gloomy stone corridor.

"Hinata, it's good to see you're safe," Neji said. "I take it you were able to escape with no trouble?"

"Yes, thank you." Hinata smiled. Kiba coughed, looking rather embarrassed.

"Look, uh, Hinata… Sorry about earlier." He smirked. "Now, let's finish this mission and go home."

Hinata nodded and turned to Mid. "I take it you have the Hex Crystal?"

Mid blushed. "Yes, Captain. It wasn't too hard to make a fake and switch it." He tossed the Crystal to Hinata, who presented it to Koyuki.

"All yours," Hinata said.

"Thanks," Koyuki smiled, putting the Crystal around her neck. "For everything. Now, let's get moving." She ran past Hinata, turning left and right as though she knew the place. Hinata followed, and the team eventually found itself in what Hinata could only assume was the throne room. A single light lit up the throne, high upon many stairs, where Dotou was waiting. The grin on his face unnerved Hinata to no end.

"Good job… Koyuki." The Princess ran up to him, with Nadare's gang stepping to place between Hinata and Koyuki.

"No way…" Hinata muttered. "This isn't possible…" _By the way she's moving, and the position of her hands… No… She isn't gonna…_

"I don't know why you're so surprised." Koyuki laughed, winking to Hinata tauntingly. "I am an actress!"

_She is. Son of a…_

"And what an actress indeed!" Dotou laughed as Koyuki gave him the crystal. "Another great performance by the wonderful Yukie Fugi─" He gasped as a knife plunged into his stomach.

"Yeah, another great performance," Koyuki smirked, twisting the blade. "By the best actress in the world…"

"You wretched…" Dotou grabbed Koyuki by the throat, intent on crushing it. "You think you'll get away with this!"

"Princess!" Hinata gasped.

"No…" Koyuki gasped out. "I don't. But this way… I can keep fighting… Thanks to you, Hinata. I've finally stopped running…" She put all her strength into a final push, and both she and Dotou fell off the platform the throne was on.

"No, Koyuki!" Hinata called out, running past the enemy ninja, only to jump back, dodging Dotou's uppercut by a hair. "You… you bastard!"

Dotou removed his robes, and revealed another set of Chakra Armor, black this time.

"That's…" Mid gasped.

"Yes, Chakra Armor, and our latest prototype, too." He smirked, grabbing Koyuki, who gasped in shock, and started struggling against him. "Now, Yukie, let us go… beyond the rainbow." The roof crashed open, and a wire grabbed Dotou, taking him and Koyuki upwards. Hinata threw out a rope, which the Princess grabbed onto. As Dotou was pulled up enough, he launched out of the castle, artificial wings spreading from behind his back. As he began his flight, he noticed Hinata climbing the rope up to him, and laughed. "You think you can stop me? Let me show you how hopeless you are." He grabbed the rope, and cut it.

Hinata screamed as she fell to the ground, hitting several branches along the way. She quickly threw out the last of her Ninja wire, swinging from a particularly sturdy branch and landed relatively safely in the snow. She looked up as Dotou flew away.

"No… This is far from over…" Hinata said, getting up from her knees, before collapsing again. "… Damnit." She tried again, only to fall again a couple steps later. "Damnit. I can't give up… Not yet… I refuse to let it end this way…" She laid there a while, trying to collect her strength, when she heard the distinct sound of a motor. She looked up and gaped.

"Hop on." Said the director, waving a cone from his seat on a camera-mounted moving sled. His assistant was behind the camera, which was rolling. Hinata smirked, pushing herself up one last time, and getting on the vehicle.

* * *

After Hinata's exit from the castle, Kiba, Mid, and Neji brought the fight to Dotou's henchmen, causing a great deal of destruction in the sparse throne room. The fight eventually brought them out of the castle, and into the nearby forests. The sounds of battle between Sandayū's men and the grunts of Dotou's army echoed throughout both the castle and the forests.

Kiba dodged another strike from Fubuki as she flew past him, and Akamaru yipped from atop his head, eyes always on the Snow Kunoichi.

"Right... I gotcha. Mid! Now!"

Mid smirked as the large guy came rushing at him. He jumped over the snowboarding psycho, chiming in jovially from a branch: "Say, I don't think I know your name. Care to tell me?"

"It's Mizore, brat! Why ask now?" Mizore replied, looking back at the blond boy.

"Because I need a name to place on your grave." Mid replied as he pointed a strange-looking firearm at the ground right by Mizore. Five tagged kunai were fired out, one hitting Mizore's armor and the others surrounding the man. All five detonated at once, stunning Mizore and sending Fubuki for a whirl from her place in midair.

"Why you─" Fubuki started as she righted herself.

"Don't worry about him!" Kiba roared as he jumped out from behind a tree, and his Tunneling Fang hit her, sending her flying towards her reeling teammate. When they collided, something caused a massive explosion, and when the dust cleared, both Snow Ninja were down for good. "Whoa. What the heck was that?"

Mid adjusted his glasses. "Looks like the crystals on their tech don't react well to each other…"

* * *

A few kilometers away, at the base of a mountain bordering the forest, Neji stood off against Nadare, entering a Strong Fist stance.

"What's the matter, can't use your Gentle Fist, boy?"

"No, it's simply too good for scum like you, relying only on genius," Neji smirked. _Plus, I want to try this out. About time, I spent 3 weeks training in green spandex for this… Now… FIRST GATE, OPEN! _Neji flashed forward, dodging several ice jutsu from his opponent before kicking him into the air."You see, you're a one-trick pony! The moment I changed my strategy, your fate was sealed!" He leapt up behind him, grabbing him from behind and beginning to spin.

"Now! _Kaiten Lotus!"_

Neji pushed his chakra into the same way that he normally did for a Kaiten, increasing his spinning speed to a dizzying maximum. He released Nadare and launched himself away at the last second, as the still-spinning Nadare hit the snow, drilling past it into the ground, until he was up to his ankles in earth. "That was a technique that can only be mastered with a mix of genius and hard work," Neji reflected. "Though I'm most definitely never training with Gai-sensei again."

* * *

"I see, so we've come here after all, I guess…" Koyuki sighed. They were finally at the location of the final shoot planned for the film, the Rainbow Glacier. Eight giant glaciers, flat on the side directed towards a shrine in the center. It was the girl between the mirrors all over again.

Dotou placed the Hex Crystal into a tiny hole in the shrine, twisting it, and pushing it all the way in. The shrine began to glow, and lines of light reached ran across the ground to the Glaciers, causing them to light up, glowing with all their majesty. Dotou looked around.

"Where's the treasure? Where…" Steam began pouring out of the glaciers and the shrine, melting the snow and increasing the temperature. "A… Heat generator? This is the treasure of the Kazehane clan?"

"Fitting, isn't it!" Dotou turned to see Hinata incoming on the motorized sled, a large smile on her face. "It's what the Kazehane clan treasures most, after all…!" She jumped from the sled, running forward as the sled slowed to a stop. She summoned Yoshitori, firing several feathers at him. "A true Spring!"

Dotou deflected the feathers, forming handsigns as his face changed into a rictus of fury. _"Hyōton: Kokuryū Bōfūsetsu! (Black Dragon Blizzard)"_ A black, serpentine dragon emerged from his hands, flying towards Hinata, who dispelled Yoshitori and began her Protection of the Eight Trigrams technique. The dragon clashed with the barrier, turning into an explosion.

"Hinata!" Koyuki cried out.

"Urgh!" Hinata slid back, falling onto her back. "Not what I had in mind…" She managed to get up, only to face Dotou's fist in her face.

"DIE!" Dotou crowed as he smashed her through the ice below her into the freezing water. "Haha! Stay dead this time, bitch!"

"Who the hell do you think she is?" called out another voice, rushing quickly towards Dotou. Kiba was running towards the battle, Akamaru running alongside him as a Beast Clone. "She's insane, and doesn't know when to quit! What makes you think you can change that?" He and Akamaru launched towards Dotou, spinning at high speed.

"_Gatsūga! (Fang over Fang)"_

Kiba hit first, a red glow at the tip of the Fang, neutralizing Dotou's own Chakra armor. Akamaru hit second, shattering the armor. Dotou hit third, his punches flinging both contenders across the field of ice.

"Too… too easy…" Dotou laughed as his armor deactivated. "Now, this ridiculous little farce is over!"

"Not quite…" came another voice as Neji appeared on the edge of the glacier. "You're forgetting one little thing."

"What?" Dotou half asked, half roared. "What silly little trick do you think will stop me?"

Mid adjusted his glasses. "The happy ending, of course."

"What happy─ Huh?" The water of the lake beneath him started to glow the same colors that the Rainbow Glacier was producing. All at once, Hinata burst out from directly under him, rainbow-colored chakra spinning around her.

"_Yoshitori Ninpou: Chakra Shuuren! (Graceful Bird Ninja Art: Chakra Drill)" _Hinata launched Dotou skyward as she landed on the solid ice, grimacing as her left leg stumbled a bit and her insides heaved. _I'm on my last bit of strength… This has to end NOW._ She spun Yoshitori around with a flourish, chakra and light energy flowing around it in preparation for another move.

"Well I'll be…" The Director muttered. "Rainbow Chakra…"

Hinata leapt up after Dotou, a trail of Rainbow Chakra following her every move as she thrust the rapier at every one of Dotou's Tenketsu. Neji recognized this technique as the same one Hinata had used before, against him. "Two Strikes… sixteen… sixty three. And now…"

"_Genshuu: Godaime: Omnislash. (Limit Break: Fifth Generation: Omnislash)"_ Hinata sealed the final tenketsu before slashing past Dotou with Yoshitori. She landed in a kneeling positon, favoring her left leg, and a pillar of rainbow light erupted from where she hit the ground, engulfing Dotou and sending him even further into the sky. It took a minute for the deposed usurper to drop back to the ground, defeated. Hinata dispelled Yoshitori as the heat generator did its work, warming up the entire land for miles. She laughed. "There… There's that happy ending we've been looking for…" She collapsed into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

"_Believe in the future, and the Spring will surely come. What will you do, Koyuki, when that happens?"_

_The girl put her finger to her lower lip as she thought. "I'm going… to become a princess."_

"_What kind of princess?"_

"_Um… One who's strong… and kind… and fights for justice!"_

"_My, that's some dream. Keep fighting for it, Koyuki. Never give up, and one day, that dream will be a reality." The girl's father walked to the girl, placing a jewel necklace around her neck. "You can see her, can't you?" He looked into the mirror. The girl looked as well. "There's a beautiful princess standing right there in front of you."_

_The girl stared, and the girl in the mirror, older and wiser, stared back. The girl pouted._

"_What's the matter, Koyuki?"_

"_It's just, there's something else I want to be."_

___The princess in the mirror smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. _

"_Really? What's that?"_

"_An actress!"_

_The princess laughed, her tears streaming down her cheeks._

* * *

"So this generator isn't finished? So eventually everything will be back to winter." Kiba kicked at the ground. "That absolutely stinks!" The team was saying goodbye to Koyuki at the pier. They'd had one of Snow's messenger falcons deliver a summary of the mission change along with compensation for the rank's change to Konoha, and now that the team was rested and mostly healed, it was time to go home.

"Well, we are working on completing it," Koyuki said. "Just a bit of research will go a long way…"

Mid nodded. "If you ever need help with that, let me know. I do research all the time, one more subject won't hurt."

"It's a shame, though, that you'll have to retire from acting…" Hinata said before sneezing. She was leaning on a crutch, her ankle sprained from the last blow. The injuries, from the electrocution, the fall she had taken, and being punched through ice into a freezing lake, had left her feeling ragged and thankful for the relative calm of the boat ride back home.

"Oh? Who said I'm retiring?" Koyuki pulled out a script with the title "Icha Icha Paradise" on it.

"That script…" Hinata stared. _Riku-sensei… Maybe I've been too hard on him. Leading others is harder than it looks. _"You… ah… ah… achoo! You think I could get a signed copy?" Neji looked aghast. "I know someone who would LOVE to have one."

Koyuki smiled. "Sure. I'll have one mailed to you, along with an early release of the movie."

Hinata bowed. "Th… tha… ah… achoo!" Hinata pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her nose. "Thanks."

Koyuki bowed back. "You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have things to do. You take care." She turned and walked back to her carriage, only to be waylaid by a smattering of adoring fans.

Hinata smiled, pleased at the ending of another mission. She was going to enjoy seeing Naruto and Llednar again… though she wasn't quite as eager to see Riku's triumphant look when she conceded that he had it rough. Still, he deserved it, she supposed.

She turned to her team, a smile on her face. "And, CUT! That's a wrap, everyone."

Kiba groaned. "And here I thought we were gonna avoid that one…"

Hinata giggled, only to sneeze again. "Sorry, couldn't resist. Come on, I'll buy us lunch when we get back home…"

* * *

Naruto poked into Tsunade's office for the fifteenth time that week. Even though he was extremely far away from home, she'd come to expect the constant check-ins from the boy, asking whether he had clearance to head into the Lands outside his home. _3…_ she begun the countdown as the portal opened. _2… 1…_

Naruto's head popped out of the portal. "Hey, Gran─"

"Actually, yes, you do." Tsunade preempted, looking up from the scroll she had just received from the new ruler of the Land of Snow, opening borders to the Land of Fire. "I just got permission from the leader of the Land of Snow to let Konoha Shinobi into their borders. Apparently we just did them some great service. Get moving."

There was a silence for a while, before Naruto nodded dumbly as he went back into the portal.

Coming out on the other side, he explained to the Tycoons that it was time to go, and they gave him a Chakra-powered boat to rush after him. Naruto got aboard, fired up the engine, and let loose.

"YAAAHHOOOOO! Look out, Land of Snow, cause Uzumaki Naruto is on his way!"

* * *

"_Another mission, already? Why?"_

"_I thought you'd want in on this. Besides, you already have experience working here…"_

_**Next Time on XIII Ninja: The Mysterious Maiden, Kidnapped, and The Return to Wave Country!**_

"_Now, where is Gesthal?"_

* * *

"Yay, new Chapter, Complete! Now to do a Pokemon Wizard Chapter. I've neglected it long enough."

Harry: "YAAAYYY!"

"Speaking of… POKEMON BLACK 2 AND WHITE 2. A sequel. An honest-to-Arceus sequel."

Harry: "What."

Shadow: "The."

Manaphy: "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF─"

"Uh, see you next time!"

Manaphy: "─FFUUUUUUU─"


End file.
